Hapless
by PommePoisson
Summary: True Blood universe story with Amelia OC encountering Eric, Pam, and other vampires. As Amelia's power grows, what will she discover about herself and the new life that is building up around her so rapidly?
1. Confrontation

_**Dear Readers,**_

_I just wanted to take the time to thank each of you for sticking with me as I stumble my way through this story. I know it's a bit long and may seem unguided at times but each time I write a new chapter I'm doing my best to improve and make events more interesting and well strung together and each of you is motivation for that! To those that have left reviews I want to express how much I appreciate that you took the time to leave a small piece of yourself with me. It makes me very happy to hear that you are enjoying the story! To all the other visitors: Thank you for stopping by._

_Cheers!_

_**Revisions and Updates:**__ In struggling to write the next chapter so I've been going over previous ones and fixing a lot of things that were bugging me. No major plot shifts, just a tweak in grammar and dialogue here and there. Thank you for reading and I really hope you enjoy the story!_

**Chapter 1: Confrontation**

My name is Amelia Stratton and I live and go to school in Shreveport, LA. I'm 26 years old and up until 3 months ago there was nothing all that special about me. I went to school, worked hard at my job, and aimed to have a stable life just like anyone else. Even when an event as spectacular as vampires officially announcing their existence happened, nothing about my life changed. It just went on. I never met or even caught a glimpse of a single vampire. That is until one attacked me three months ago, changing me and my life forever.

It was Tuesday night and my last class of the fall semester was ending.

I lingered and stopped at different painting stations, chatting and saying goodbye to some really sweet people I wouldn't likely be seeing again. My best friend Cecile was doing the same thing and we grinned at each other from across the room. I'd join her after I finished talking to Brent, a 30 something student that worked at the art gallery on campus. Brent is a pretty decent guy but a bit hard to read, for me anyway. I joked and smiled all the while wondering what he really thought of me and if he'd ever end up making a seriously committed statement one way or the other. Unless we keep in touch I guess I'll never really know. He surprised me with a friendly hug at our parting and I left to weave among paint slathered easels to stand next to Cecile. She was talking to Jeanne, one of the few people left, and I hopped up on a stool to hang out and chat but mostly just listened.

It took the larger part of an hour before we were the only ones left in the building. Hurriedly Cecile and I packed our things and walked to our cars. I reveled in the cold December air, taking it in in several deep breaths. I always loved the smell of winter. Not that cold air exactly has a smell, but it brings an awesome sense of clarity and sharpness with it, something that to me smells like love. I parted with Cecile at her little blue Toyota and walked three rows up to my Volkswagen, looking left in time to catch her waving a final goodbye as she drove past. I threw my hand up, but was too slow for her to see and shrugged to myself with a smile. I'd see her this weekend anyway. I was fumbling for my car key when I regretted not using the restroom before I had walked all the way out to the far end of the parking lot. I glanced at my watch and it read just minutes before 10 PM, which is when the security guards force out any remaining students and lock the buildings. I sprinted the entire distance back to the main doors. Luck was on my side when I found that the door popped open easily.

After finishing my business I picked up a brisk pace as I walked back to my car. Somewhere during the time that I was distracted by deliberating over what music to listen to on the drive home I had been followed to my car near the end of the lot. Unable to get my attention visually my pursuer had clearly seen no other option than to track me by foot.

"Excuse me!" He called from several yards back.

I stopped and turned, surprised. I had expected to see one of the security guards so I wasn't really prepared for the muscular, imposing physique jogging towards me. From what I could tell under the dingy yellow security lights of the parking lot he was fair skinned, blond, and had a great smile. I hadn't the slightest clue who this guy was, or why he was trotting around in nothing but a tank top and jeans, but whatever he had to say must be important since he had to be freezing. Maybe he was going to ask if I'd seen his jacket. I hugged my own around me tighter and wiggled my legs impatiently, trying to stay warm. I just wanted to get the car started and blast the heater. I love the smell of the cold but I definitely don't like being in it. The closer he stepped the more I became aware of how incredibly handsome he was. It wasn't just that I could tell he was beautiful, it was that specific feeling of immediate attraction some faces and bodies can inspire. I smiled and gave a sympathetic nod to his bare arms.

"You must be freezing." I commented and watched my breath escape as a thin steamy cloud.

He merely gazed at me intently for a moment and when he was sure he had my attention he opened his mouth. I caught a flash of brilliantly white teeth.

The next thing I knew the rear windshield wiper was digging into my back as I was slammed against the trunk of my car. I made a surprised noise that sounded like what my friend's cat used to do while hacking up a hairball. He clamped an icy hand over my mouth before I could really start screaming, forcing the now muffled sounds to come out of my nose in pitiful moans. His other arm pinned me to the car across my chest and shoulders.

"Hush," He breathed at me calmly, staring deep into my eyes. "Struggle if you like, but no screaming."

His eyes were a clear blue; the iris was bright, icy, and covered by pale lids that deepened to pink and red at the folds and inner lining. For a moment I felt his voice press at me, like a breeze trying to pass through my skin. It promised to soothe my panic, dissolve my fear, and reveal hidden possibilities if I let it in. Caught in the rush of surprise I did just that, shivering lightly as it slid through me. My shoulders relaxed and my voice died on an outward breath that had started as a scream but ended as a sigh. The tranquility I felt only lasted a few moments before some primal piece of my brain dedicated to survival snapped me out of the daze, throwing me back into reality.

The pressure from his arm was lessening and his hand began to pull away, so I struggled violently against him with everything I had and caught him off guard.

"Help! Let me g-" I screamed, but my cry was choked off by the swift return of his palm.

I think I had managed to get at least 6 inches between my body and the car but I quickly lost that ground. The rear windshield wiper cruelly dug into my back as he forced me against it. I groaned and stared at his face that hovered just inches away from mine, horrified. His left eyebrow was cocked and he had this cruel, amused smile on his lips. He leaned forward and smelled me, grazing his nose against my cheek adding to my terror and revulsion. All I could think was how stupid I'd been to think I was immune to the dangers of an empty community college parking lot. A girl had gotten raped here just last month.

"You're… different." He said, his mouth hanging open as if he were waiting to be fed from a spoon.

I noticed now that when he had spoken there was no steam to his breath and, in fact, no trace of warmth to his body at all. Two sizable sharp incisors descended into the cavity of his mouth, completely ruining my hopes of somehow gaining the advantage by catching him off balance again. His smile had turned vicious. Oh god, why a vampire? Why wasn't there anyone else in this forsaken parking lot? One of the security guards was bound to show up. Any moment I'd see one of their little golf carts that they drove to make their rounds coming around the corner. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

My upper body was helplessly pinned but my legs were still free. On a chance I kicked out with everything I had and missed. He made a gently chiding noise as he crushed any further efforts easily, pinning my lower half with his pelvis and legs. I struggled to draw in air. It felt like I was being crushed between two boulders. My body was tensed, waiting for him to strike but he simply stared, watching me with an intense curiosity as if he expected me to magic my way out of the current situation or grow feet from my ears. I narrowed my eyes and burned holes of hatred into his head. At that he seemed to light up with delight. He threw his head back with a laugh and it infuriated me, renewing my will to struggle. The way I was pinned, though, all I could manage was a squirm. My heart hammered against my ribcage.

With a wink he pushed my head to the side, exposing my neck. Muffled screams escaped my nostrils as the immediacy of my death hit me. I couldn't say that I prayed, but I hoped, I hoped against hope that someone would come. Ultimately, I thought, what good would it do? He was the first vampire I'd ever encountered and he was insanely strong. I remember thinking that the only thing that could save me from a vampire was another vampire.

The cold tip of his nose was the first thing to graze my skin as he lowered his head to my throat and it completely broke my ability for coherent thought. A shiver rippled through me that I couldn't control. I felt wild, like a trapped desperate animal unable to do anything but tremble under his grip, squeeze my eyes shut, and wait for the inevitable end. His lips were in place, just above my jugular vein, pausing only long enough to appreciate the rapid speed of my pulse. I wasn't sure how exactly I knew that, I just did. I wanted to speak, but managed only a string of imploring whimpers. Please, I begged with my whole being, please don't kill me.

"Shh," He soothed, "Try to enjoy this."

There was something strained in his voice that caused me to go completely still as I felt his rough stubble graze my skin, prickling and scratching. The last vocalization from him was a deep groan as I felt the wetness of his mouth, immense pressure and then a sharp stinging pain that told me my skin had been broken. I squeaked, hearing wet sucking noises and felt dizzy, all the energy draining out of me in a rush. He shifted his weight and wrapped his arms around me tightly, pulling me away from the car, crushing me to him. The world slowly became a fragmented mass of black holes that started small then bloomed outward, completely covering my vision. There was a rhythm to the way he drew on my blood and he rocked back and forth with it, grinding our bodies together. Enjoy this, was he crazy? Maybe this wasn't supposed to hurt as badly as it did and my body was in absolute revolt against every moment of it. His hands squeezed at my sides, urging me to relax and give in but it was all too horribly overwhelming. I gave a pitiful moan, pleading for the pain to stop; it was radiating down my shoulder and up into my head. Suddenly I felt violently ill, my vision blacked out, and then I felt nothing.

I woke to a painful bruising in the musculature of my neck and an incredibly dry mouth. I was lying on a dark leather couch staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Fluorescent lights flickered down at me. The memory of what transpired before I lost consciousness flooded back so quickly I shot up off the couch in a desperate panic and found myself too weak and dizzy to stand. I stumbled 3 steps then fell to all fours, sinking slowly to lie on the thin carpet. Almost deliriously I wondered what type of foot traffic this floor saw and how clean it was, but quickly realized I was too weak to really care. I felt pitiful, exhausted, and vulnerable. My breathing was labored as my body attempted to recover from the rigors of moving from couch to floor. I heard a door handle being operated from the outside, but was just too damn tired to bother to move. That threw the idea of hiding out the window pretty quickly. Whatever was coming was coming. There was little I could do to stop anything from happening in this state.

"I can't imagine that the floor is more comfortable than the couch." A male voice commented casually. I watched a pair of pale feet in sandals step over my body then settle behind a large desk. "How's the neck?"

The sound of an envelope tearing filled the silence and as I thought of the region in question it throbbed painfully. It felt awful, but I couldn't muster the energy to respond. I continued to lie there, listening to the rustling of papers going on above me and closed my eyes. Once closed, my eyelids felt thick and swollen and much too heavy to open. Eventually I managed to peel them apart enough to see a pair of hot pink pumps with straps that wrapped around delicate ankles. Apparently I had lost some time. My right cheek and shoulder ached from having fallen asleep on the floor and I rolled onto my back desperately seeking a position less painful.

"Eric, you know this is a bad idea." A feminine voice drifted down to me.

"Enough, Pam," His voice clearly brooked no arguments. "Wait outside."

Everything sounded dim and I hadn't the slightest clue what the topic of conversation was even though the displeasure in her voice was easy enough to read. So the woman was Pam and the man at the desk was Eric.

It was then that I heard the strangest sound. It sounded like a voice drifting over a weak radio signal or someone speaking in a manner that all but a few of their words were slurred beyond comprehension. "_Pathetic. She won't survive."_was what I made out. It had been the Pam's voice that much was clear to me. I worried my hearing had been damaged or that the murkiness of sound was me slipping in and out of consciousness. It must have been the latter because I thought I had merely blinked very slowly but found that Pam and her shoes had disappeared from the room entirely. I was now staring up at the towering figure of the vampire that had attacked me, Eric. His hands were casually slung into the pockets of his faded blue jeans as he looked down at me, giving me a nudge in the shoulder with his foot. I felt a fresh rush of panic at his touch.

"Get up." Eric commanded simply, not needing to put any menace in his voice.

My brain urged my body into action but physically I was too tired. It was a simple matter of having had my blood drained without having any food or water for at least a day. I was unsure how much time had passed, but I doubted very much that it was the same night. That being said, I would have liked nothing more than to obey him, for the sake of my own preservation, but it just felt impossible. I furrowed my brow and closed my eyes and let my head loll to the side in an attempt to convey my complete exhaustion. I swallowed and noted that my tongue felt like sandpaper.

_"A few bites to end it... maybe the basement."_ The fragmented speech buzzed dimly in my ears as if coming through a veil of cotton. More accurately, it felt like the sound was coming from inside my head trying to push its way out, but that didn't make sense. The words were few but in my gut I understood the full meaning and my eyes flew open and flooded with tears. If I was broken he'd just kill me and toss me aside. I shook my head and felt the hot streaks race down my cheeks, cooling swiftly. I had to fight to survive.

"No, please," I managed to choke out with a sob or two. "No basement." I was begging, but put enough force into my voice that said I would fight tooth and nail when it came down to it. I had already been sure I was going to die and now I was determined to not go quietly.

"Oh, really?" He had knelt down beside me and was staring with a look quite similar to the one I had witnessed last night; cruel amusement. He paused a long moment and rubbed the fingertips of his right hand together as if rolling something between them in order to determine the quality of it. "Perhaps not, then." He said with an air of having discovered a new use for a toy he had planned to throw away.

Relief rushed over me and caused a fresh spill of tears. Quite unexpectedly I felt one large hand slide under my shoulders, propping me up to sit before the second slid under my legs. Eric hoisted me off the floor so quickly and with such little effort it left me dizzy, and then placed me on the leather couch I had woken up on.

"You could use something to eat." He informed me. "Then we'll talk." And with that he left.

My situation had just taken a dramatic turn for the better and I didn't have a clue why. I lay there for several minutes, simply stunned, trying to analyze the possibilities. My brain was in such a fog that eventually I gave up and began taking in my surroundings. I was in a large office with metal shelving, a large desk, and several wall size posters for local bands. Liquor bottles, cases of beer and true blood, books, and filing cabinets occupied much of the space in the room. I didn't get the chance to examine things much farther before an attractive young woman entered carrying a tray of food with a large bottle of water. It wasn't until I met her gaze that I even considered the state of my appearance. Her expression was, at first, annoyed but it quickly melted into pity which told me I must look pretty awful. I attempted a smile that felt as rigid as I'm sure it must have looked. The girl spoke with the intonation I've come to associate with home.

"Sorry, Eric said to bring this to you." She seemed nervous and as she came closer her eyes darted around as if trying to avoid looking directly at me.

She set the tray down on a small side table near the couch and lingered a moment.

"Are you ok?" She asked in a whisper and looked around as if she were asking something taboo. I wasn't sure why I nodded yes, but it seemed to pacify some of her anxiousness. Her eyes drifted from my face to my neck as if she were trying desperately not to look and failing. "I'll be back with some warm water." And with that she hustled out, shutting the door gently behind her.

She came back after I had started devouring the hot bowl of soup, taking such large bites of bread that I could only shake my head to communicate that there was nothing else I needed. I swallowed harshly to choke out a quick thank you before she had shut the door behind her again. I glanced to my right and saw a small desk clock. It read 1:55 am. The soup was gone and I stopped mid bite on the last chunk of bread and simply stared. Was it the same night as my attack or the next? My insides tumbled around in panic for a while and then an overwhelming sluggishness took over me. My belly was warm and full and after a little more water I was so tired I was ready to sleep. At this point it didn't matter where, my exhaustion was so thorough. I no longer felt quite as weak, which was wonderful, but I wondered with dread what lay in store once Eric returned. I curled up with my legs tucked underneath me, rested my head on the arm of the sofa, and waited.

Soon I heard the sound of approaching footsteps and then the jiggle of the door handle. With great effort I pulled myself upright as Eric strode in, giving me a quick appraising glance then sat in the large chair behind his desk. I was conscious enough now to feel incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. He filled me with such terror and attraction that my resolve to even look at him failed completely. I stared at my hands folded in my lap. Rust colored stains were embedded under my fingernails and marked my palms. It looked like dried blood. My blood? It suddenly dawned on me what the warm water and clean cloth was for. I soaked the cloth in water and began wiping myself off, giving me a real excuse to avoid looking at the vampire who sat behind his desk, silently watching me. At least I assumed he was; it was hard to know for certain without checking and I was trying my damnedest not to. I winced as I dabbed gently at my neck with the wrung out cloth, slowly making my way towards the bite marks. I could feel that a huge bruise radiated out at least 2 inches in every direction from the punctures made by his fangs. There was barely an area on the left side of my neck that didn't hurt. I groaned softly, breaking the silence to ease my discomfort and partly because I couldn't help it.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch," Was the tune I sang as I cleaned myself.

I glanced up briefly to find him staring at me, a look of quiet indifference on his face as he watched me maneuver tenderly around the bite. If he was any standard for how all vampires behaved, they must be an incredibly bizarre bunch. I'd never witnessed a face so expressionless that it appeared to be made of stone. The overall effect was incrediblydisconcerting.

I shook myself and focused on the bowl of water that was turning more polluted each time I wrung out the cloth. I spent the next five minutes absorbed in my grooming, silently wishing for a hot shower. This small bird bath was definitely better than nothing, but it made me painfully aware of just how icky I felt overall. The grime beneath my fingernails refused to go. Finally the water was too dirty to continue washing with so I dried my hands and mourned the loss of the activity as I settled back into the couch. I drew a deep breath and blew it out slowly, feeling somewhat more relaxed and waited for the talking to begin. Just when I was about to open my mouth and blurt out the first thing that came to mind, the sound of Eric's voice filtered in through that veil of cotton and I looked around wondering if I was hearing some sort of P.A. System. It seemed to come from everywhere at once with no distinct source or determinable location. The tone was familiar but the words were unclear. I turned to look at him hoping it would bring some clarity to what he was saying but by then he had gone quiet.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" I asked, trying to be as polite as possible despite his general lack of courtesy.

Eric stopped writing, put his pen down, and looked up at me. He was grinning ever so slightly, as if he'd found something he'd been searching for, and it looked dangerous. He cocked his head to one side and answered me, but not in the way I expected. I was hearing his voice, but his mouth wasn't moving.

_I haven't said anything out loud._

"No way…" My voice was filled with wonder and denial.

After that first exclamation I ran out of words and my mouth just hung open in silence. I shook my head in disbelief. The whole world felt surreal. Was this really happening? I found myself grinning from ear to ear and surprisingly, and for the first time since I'd woken up here, I forgot my anxieties. I could hear thoughts. And not just any thoughts, _vampire_ thoughts. What did that mean? And why me? I bit at my bottom lip, lost in thought until Eric got up from his chair to stand at the front of his desk.

_Look at me Amelia. _His voice rang clear in my head.

I looked up at him slowly and knew I was having a hard time hiding my excitement. The grin that had crept up my face held fast, even as I slowly considered the repercussions of being able to find out precisely what went on behind the curtain in Eric's head. I began to wonder if this was the reason why he had attacked me, but that seemed incredibly unlikely. How could he have known about it when even I didn't? I gazed at him long and hard worrying over the idea. His current expression was impossible to read and he made no attempt to communicate again. This only increased my anxiety. As the silence lengthened his stillness seemed to grow. He was eerily devoid of any sense of motion. I was focusing so hard on him, trying to pick up on any slight movement or sound that I fell completely into his head. Flashes of images accompanied surges of strong emotion and both came barreling into me along with his thoughts. Hunger, lust, and power rolled through me and I rocked backward as if a fist had materialized out the air and clocked me in the forehead. I was seeing hundreds of bodies alive, vibrant, and willing then just as suddenly dead. My ears buzzed and tingled, a chorus of screams echoing over and over, reverberating through my brain. I didn't want this, I wanted out, but I wasn't sure how to escape it or how I'd even gotten there in the first place. I tried to scream but all I could manage was choked breaths as the visions overtook me. Bodies were raining down on me and I was drowning in them, falling under their dead and heavy limbs, paralyzed by the tragedy of their deaths, and finally when I thought I couldn't handle any more I opened my mouth to scream, and it filled with the taste of their blood. I was repulsed and yet wanted more.

Mercifully, I was pulled out of the visions by my own screams. My limbs flailed wildly until they found purchase on the arms of the couch and I used it to propel myself up and as far away from Eric as I could manage. My face was wet and tears puddled in my eyes blurring my vision so completely I tripped several times before I found the far wall. Furiously I wiped at them, not wanting to be left blind in a room with the owner of a mind like that.

"What," I gasped, chest heaving, "The hell was that?" I clutched my chest as my heart hammered wildly. "It feels like my heart and head want to burst," I swallowed hard, unable to finish what I was saying. I fought the wave of nausea hard, determined not to empty the contents of my stomach. I had gone from sitting with my back against the wall to being doubled over, clutching my stomach with my forehead pressed to the floor. I breathed heavily, slowing the intake of each breath as I tried to exhale all those foreign emotions so they did not overtake me again.

"Please, please." I said as evenly as I could manage, "I don't want to experience that ever again."

"It isn't my ability to control, it's yours. What was it you found so terrible?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious. I looked up to see him leaning casually against the front of his desk, arms folded across his chest, his icy blue eyes fixed on me.

My mouth hung open while I grasped for the right words to accurately describe what sort of hell had just paraded through my brain. "I think you know." I swallowed hard. "I could taste them..." I squeezed my arms around myself in search of some sort of comfort. "How many people have you killed?"

He shrugged as if I were asking how many cocktail shrimp he'd eaten at an all you can eat buffet. "I've been alive for over 1,000 years. You can understand why I've lost count." He said, a very subtle hint of distaste in his voice. "How many animals have _you_ eaten in your lifetime?"

Point taken. I kept my mouth shut and stayed with my back to the wall, finding comfort that he wasn't coming any closer. The emotional overload had left me feeling weak all over and tired. I stared at the floor between my knees and tried my hardest to think of anything else but him just to avoid falling into his mind again. A second dose would be most unwelcome. A small shiver rolled across my shoulders and down my back raising goosebumps along my skin. I chewed at my lip and after a long moment looked back up at him.

"I'm guessing you wanted me to experience all of that. But why?" I said with an edge of impatience. I was quickly growing tired of my surroundings and present company and I hoped to avoid any further scenarios filled with physical pain and abject terror. Above all, I just wanted to go home.

"I wanted to understand some of the specifics of your ability." He had been staring off absently and now looked down the bridge of his nose at me. "I have a small job for you."

I scrunched my face in a frown, not liking the sound of that one bit. If it weren't for his supernatural nature and his large menacing physique I would have quickly said no thanks and made a bolt for the nearby door. I stared at it longingly, devising as many escape plans as I could think of but they all seemed likely to end in my untimely demise. Escaping, if not unlikely, was impossible. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I would say no thanks, but I don't get the feeling I have a lot of choice."

He gave me a pleasant smile and shrugged.

"Fantastic." I said tartly.

"Think of it as a returned favor then."

"I'm sorry?" My tone was incredulous. "When have you done _me_ any favors?"

"Well, I didn't kill you." His tone was flat and his expression deadly.

He was projecting images of what it would be like to feed from me until there was nothing left. Apparently he found the taste of my blood incredibly appealing and he was just looking for reasons to have it again.

"All right, stop. Stop." I gritted my teeth and shook my head, trying to rid myself of the sickening tickle he caused in my scalp.

"Calm down," He chided, "I don't want you shutting down just yet."

I started rubbing my temples with both hands. I had a tremendous headache forming and I was beginning to wonder if I was going to hate hearing all vampire thoughts or if it was specifically Eric's I detested.

"Look," I said with as much patience as I could muster, "I'm tired, my body hurts, and my head feels like it's ready to explode. I just want to go home."

The moment I said the word home I felt an ache of longing so strong I thought I would burst into tears. I fought it off by forcing myself to my feet, having to focus hard on not falling over. I teetered for a brief moment before I put my hand on the wall for support and fixed Eric with a look that I hoped came off as very serious. "And you, sir, scare the _crap_out of me." My thighs felt so weak I thought my legs would buckle at any given moment so I eased into a heavy lean against the wall.

"If I do this _favor_ for you, Can I go?"

Eric gave me a long appraising look in complete silence. I got the sense he was drawing the moment out simply to make me uncomfortable. I watched his eyes dart back and forth from my face to my neck a few times and finally he settled on direct eye contact.

"I don't see why not."

Hearing that small confirmation that I would actually get to leave filled me with relief and helped me gather my strength, eager to get whatever the task would be over with. I did stop to consider that the vague promise of release had come from the very mouth belonging to the man that put me here in the first place, but I shrugged off the gnawing negativity and hoped for the best since at this point, hope was all I had.

"All right." I finally agreed with weary resolve.

He reached across the desk behind him and made a page from the phone. I heard the line pick up and Eric said only, "Pam."

I shifted nervously not knowing what to expect as we waited. I kept glancing at Eric, hoping to be filled in on the details. Hell, I would've settled for vague generalities. Eric straightened slightly, folded his arms across his chest and waited with his gaze fixed on the door. Within a few moments Pam entered, her delicately pale hand wrapped firmly around the forearm of rather disheveled, dirty, and gaunt looking man. Almost instantly I felt pity for him. I guessed him to be in his early 40s but poorly aging. By that measure he could have been younger, but he didn't look it. Thin wisps of hair lay wildly strewn about his scalp, like some toddler's messy art project and his face was lined with wrinkles accentuated by the dirt and grime covering him from head to foot. His mouth and chin were caked with dried blood that had also spilled down and soaked the front of his shirt. The material looked dark and stiff and immediately drew to mind the thought of my attack the other night. I lowered my head and just felt sorry for him. The funny thing is, I couldn't imagine my state of misfortune looked too much different from his.

"Pitying him would be a mistake." Eric said, drawing my attention to him. "This vampire is responsible for the deaths of at least 10 human bar patrons and inciting the police raid that recently took place." So he wasn't human like I had assumed. At this point Eric had begun circling the much smaller man, walking deliberately slow, communicating silently with Pam as he did so.

I couldn't help but flinch as I caught the tail end of "_Remove his head,_" from Pam and my subtle movement drew the attention of all three vampires. Pam regarded me with narrowed distrustful eyes as Eric paced back to his desk to my right, and the small man merely looked frightened and hungry. It took me a moment to notice that his fangs had come out and the sight of it made the hair on my arms stand on end.

"So, it would be a great favor to me to know the names of anyone else involved." Eric offered in a tone that I think was meant to be polite.

I nodded and folded my arms, hugging myself tightly unsure of how to go about the task.

"What's your name?" I addressed the captive vampire, figuring his name would be the best place to start. I took a step forward and tried my best to smile even though I'm sure it was tight lipped and awkward looking.

The man sneered at me and snapped his jaws, baring his teeth and fangs. I retreated instantly and felt my heart pound against my chest. Pam kicked him behind the knees sharply and he fell into a kneel, wincing as she yanked his head back roughly by those pathetic remnants of hair. She looked very much like she was enjoying herself.

"Nathan." He replied with a strained hiss.

I nodded and paused a moment, waiting for my gut to tell me what I should do next. What came to me was a large swell of panic. I stiffened, fear coursing through my body, and it took me some length of time before I realized the panic and fear were not my own. It was coming from Nathan. I was hearing a mass of jumbled sounds and I stared hard at him, taking a tentative step forward to see if distance had any effect on my ability. It was like stepping through a sound proof curtain. The dim murmur of noise on the other side clarified into rapid but articulate speech. I glanced at Pam and Eric wondering if they could hear it too, it was so loud. Eric inclined his head towards Nathan, urging me to continue and I realized I would have to translate.

"He's terrified enough that he doesn't remember the women." I addressed the thing I found most important first, trying to find out who the poor bar patrons were. Eric and Pam didn't seem to care. When I focused harder all I felt was thirst and a hunger so desperately needy it dwarfed all consequence in comparison. My vision was overwhelmed by a thick, viscous red river. I closed my eyes. The vision intensified until I remembered my other objective and focused as hard as I could on that. "Nathan, who else was involved with the raid on the bar?" I heard him spit and struggle and hiss curses at me, but the answers his mouth would not tell, his mind did. As he thought of his co-conspirators I saw them; a large man of non-distinct background, a tall attractive woman with dark skin and a proud face, and a pale man bearing similar resemblance to Nathan but only so far as his clothing and mannerisms. I caught glimpses of intimate moments between the two, some more sexual than others but mostly it was just companionship, pure and simple. I shook my head to break off the mental link and took a deep breath.

"Well, two are police officers but he doesn't know their names, and the third is a vampire named Louis."

I was looking at Eric and watched something very dark flash through his cold eyes. I had lied about the names belonging to the police officers and was worried he'd picked up on that. He made no motion to suggest that he was suspicious so I backed away from Nathan, figuring my job was finished. I couldn't help but think of my own encounter with Eric and wondered how anyone would willingly put themselves in a position where they are the target of his anger. Nathan let loose a scream that startled me so badly I hunched and covered my ears. Pam began dragging his kicking form from the room, slamming him against every sharp object she passed. It was astonishing watching her small frame flex barely a muscle as she hauled him out, kicking the door shut. After they'd gone I uncovered my ears and straightened up feeling slightly silly. I wondered what would happen to Nathan. The more awful scenarios I envisioned the more guilty I felt for his fate. He was suspect in a crime and I had convicted him and provided the evidence necessary to carry out his sentence. What if I'd heard wrong? Also, as far as I knew, Eric had no clue as to the qualities of my character. I could be lying for the sake of causing trouble, or just making things up to save my own skin.

As if he'd read my mind Eric said, "You've only helped confirm suspicions I already had. In these affairs one must be certain before action is taken." His eyes slid over the room to find me. "Louis and Nathan will be repaid in kind for what they've done."

I shrank back from his gaze and gave a single nod. Not that I agreed, but I just didn't want to think about it.

"Even if you'd suspected it of them, what if I had lied? What makes you so sure I gave you the right information?" I don't know why I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

When he turned his full attention to me, I wished I had. I wasn't trying to antagonize him, I was just genuinely curious as to why he trusted me.

"I can't be one hundred percent sure in the way that you can. But your terror is plain in your eyes." He cast his gaze down the full length of my frame and wore a grin that was neither happy or playful. "I'm only sure because I think you are too scared to even think of lying. And, you don't taste like a liar." Just the tip of his tongue snaked out to wet his lips.

I couldn't fight the tremble that followed his last statement.

"Fair enough. Are we finished?"

I told myself to shut the hell up and work on getting out of here. I'd done my favor and I was done with this stupid place. I was ready to go home. I fished around in my pocket for my car key but found it missing. Worried, I looked up at Eric.

"You should see your face." He laughed lightly, grabbing something off the desk and tossing it to me. "Your car is out back and this fell out of your pocket. Go home."

I reached up to catch it, but the key bounced off my palm and skidded across the floor a few feet in the direction of the door. I sighed at my lack of coordination and picked it up, turning it over in my hand with an immense feeling of relief. It was a small comfort and I managed a tiny genuine smile as I placed my hand on the doorknob. I thought about turning to say goodbye, thanks for not killing me, and ask if could talk to him whenever I needed to about my new ability but in the end decided against it. The last part I would rather figure out on my own than need him to shed light on it. I slipped out of the door as quietly as I could, relief sweeping over me as I made my way down the long, dim hall and turned left, eyes fixating on the glowing red exit sign above the door. That's also when I noticed Nathan. It was dark in the hall but I could see that his shirt was wet and fresh blood spattered his face. His eyes were wild, his fangs were full out, and Pam lay in a bleeding heap on the floor. I screamed. He growled and lunged at me.

I was bowled over quickly and my vision blanked to white as my head connected with the floor hard enough to knock me momentarily senseless. I screamed and fought blindly, pushing against what felt like a solid wall pressing in on me. My arms were up to protect my face and he sank his fangs into my right forearm and I felt immense pressure followed by stinging pain. I desperately clawed at his face with my left hand since I couldn't physically push him off of me. My thumb came in contact with his closed eyelid and my head swam with his rapture as he drank, nearly pulling me into it. I pressed in with everything I had. I watched as my thumb disappeared into his eye socket with a sickening squelchy sound and he released my arm, and howled in pain. My stomach did a somersault. I scrambled out from under him as fast as I could, using both feet to kick him square in the chest and propel myself backward. I was turning to run when I saw a flash of movement from my right and heard the most sickening sound that I'll never forget. It sounded like thick dull pops followed by the tearing of wet paper. I glanced over my shoulder to find Eric standing, legs wide spread, with Nathans body hoisted off the ground and completely torn in half. To my horror, he was still screaming. The imagery was like something out of a graphic horror movie and I gaped, unable to look away. Intestines dangled as other organs slid out of his midsection and fell to the floor in a wet pile. And blood, there was so much blood. It poured out of him like a running faucet. It was so horrific it looked fake. Another blur of motion preceded a dull wet snap, and the screaming ceased instantaneously. I watched Nathans head fall to the floor with a disgusting thunk.

My next coherent thought came as I was leaning over the sink behind the bar washing the wound on my arm. Eric sat a now conscious Pam in a booth on the far side of the room. Fresh waves of nausea rolled over me as Nathan's end replayed in my head. I steeled my stomach and thought hard about home. I would brush my teeth, shower, dry my hair, and fall into bed. Freshly determined to get there I finished up in the sink and wrapped my arm with a nearby towel. I'd used 100 proof vodka to sterilize the wound and now it throbbed painfully but at least it wouldn't get infected if I took good care of it. When I turned around Eric was sitting at the bar.

"How is she?" I motioned to Pam.

"Recovering." He didn't sound worried.

"Ah, that's good." I smiled, not sure if it really was a good thing.

I stared off for a moment thinking how lucky I was to be alive. If it weren't for Eric I'd probably be dead. Of course if it weren't for him I wouldn't be here in the first place, but give credit where credit is due. It was getting a little easier to look at him, so I did as we talked.

"Thank you... for saving me." I paused because I wasn't sure that his intention had been to save me. But if he'd let it slide as that, I would too.

"That was clever, going for his eyes."

I shrugged, not sure I deserved the compliment. "It was sheer desperation. And it's a shame I only got the one."

I stared at Eric's eyes. They were really quite beautiful. His pale skin that showed so much pink inside his eyelids set off the iris color like nothing else I'd ever seen. They were the bright vibrant blue of a midday sky and just as clear. Idly I wondered if his eyes were just as squishy as Nathans had been. If he hadn't been killed would the damaged one have grown back? I shrugged and gently patted at my makeshift bandage. It felt very wet against my skin. Eric gestured to my arm with a large extended hand.

"What's the damage?"

I couldn't see the harm in letting him take a look. I was even hoping he might know a thing or two about first aid so I laid my hand gently in his and let him remove the towel. I watched his nostrils flare just before I caught sight of the bright red that had soaked through the cloth. My head suddenly felt light.

"I really need to sit down..."

He didn't try to stop me as I stumbled to a nearby chair with a broad back and slumped into it. I cradled my arm to me as I waited for the world to stop spinning.

"I think you've lost too much blood." He said, kneeling beside me.

There was a small amount of strain to his voice. My eyes were closed as I nodded in agreement, wondering if I might need to head to the hospital. I felt him gently grasp my arm and assumed he was resuming his examination. I looked down, startled, as he began licking the open bite marks. I sucked in a breath to fight off squirming as the initial sting set in but the pain lessened the more he kept licking. If it hadn't started to recede so quickly I would have protested his treatment but it seemed stupid to object to something that was clearly helping. I was mighty anxious when I saw glimpses of his fangs as he moved his mouth, but the longer he worked the less I became afraid of him using them. If he hadn't used them at this point he likely wasn't going to, or so I could hope. Leisurely his tongue stroked my skin and a calm tranquility spread through me. I felt I was recovering and rather rapidly. Eventually Eric pulled away almost reluctantly and sat back on his heels. He looked dazed or sort of drunk.

"That should help prevent any visits to the doctor." He said between breaths. They were very deliberate, since vampires have no need to breathe.

"Thank you." My voice sounded so soft, even to me. "So you don't think it'll need stitches?" As soon as the question came out of my mouth I was looking down at fresh pink scar tissue where the gaping jagged tears in my flesh had been. My jaw fell open. "How...?" I looked at Eric, bewildered.

"Vampire blood."

"No shit..." I stared, dumbfounded. "Well, wow, thanks." I twisted and turned my arm over and over again examining the results. I didn't understand it but I was very pleased. Even my fatigue had lessened.

He nodded, keeping his lips tight with his gaze fixed on me. I smiled warmly, not sure if he was expecting some further gratitude on my part. Should I give him a hug? I straightened up in the chair and then I noticed how largely dilated his pupils were. Suddenly I got the urgent sense that if I didn't leave now, I'd never see home again. I regarded Eric like a large forest predator and moved slowly and cautiously out of my seat.

"Right, well, thank you so much again and I'll..." I was going to say be seeing you, but I didn't plan on that ever again if I could help it. I fumbled for my car key as I struggled to come up with something passable. "I'll try to stop by the bar sometime." It was the quickest thing to come to mind.

"Be sure that you do."

He had pulled a small business card from his pocket and handed it to me. It was glossy and black with Fangtasia written in a fancy red cursive on the front. The backside had the address and number of the bar. At least I finally knew where I was. My apartment was just a 30 minute drive away. Walking briskly to the back exit I gave a final nervous wave as I shut the door behind me and breathed in the cold night air. It bit at my cheeks and nose as I hurried through the small back parking lot to my car. The windows were covered in a light frost. I trembled and shivered violently as I waited for the heater to kick in and drove off into the coming dawn. I was so relieved I cried the entire way home.


	2. Introduction

_**Thanks to my 3 reviewers for the encouragement :)_ _Thanks for reading!_

Chapter 2

"I see, well, I'm sorry too. Thanks Angie, I appreciate you speaking to me directly." I hung up, dismayed. I'd just been fired. Great. It was early Friday morning and my little adventure had been less than two days ago. Apparently I had been unconscious at Fangtasia for the majority of my stay. That thought made me shiver. What could have happened to me while I lay there completely unaware and helpless... stop, stop, just stop. There was no need to cause myself any further anxiety over the whole situation, I thought. To be honest, I had a hard time even imagining anything worse than what I had already been through and seen. I mean, I imagined vampires were strong, but Eric had pulled Nathan apart like soft bread. The sounds of the brutality revisited me, echoing in my ears and tightening my face in a grimace. I turned on the small clock radio I kept in the tiny apartment kitchen to drown out the dismal thoughts. I was home, I was safe, and my wounds had all but completely healed. For that I had Eric to thank, or at least the circulatory portion of him. Despite the stressful scenarios I felt fine. In fact, I felt just a little bit better than fine. Physically I was excellent. Mentally though, it might take more than a few months to regain my sense of safety, if it returned at all. After I'd crawled into bed at dawn Thursday morning I'd slept through most of the day, getting up only once or twice to sooth my dry throat with a huge glass of water then just crawled right back under the covers. The whole ordeal had cost me two days of work and I hadn't even been able to call in to give notice. The gallery owner I worked for was very strict about holding their employees to a code of responsibility, and had little tolerance for those that no-showed. So, I had been fired. Poor Angie had to make the call. My mind lingered on her nervous, remorseful tone and rapid inquiries about where I had been. It wasn't like me at all to not show up but what could I say? Sorry Angie, I was attacked by a vampire that let me go after agreeing to read the mind of another vampire. Oh, and I watched as that same vampire divulged the hidden secrets of human anatomy by tearing his hostage apart. Sure Nathan had been a vampire, but his body was all too human. My stomach gave a slight lurch at the thought. Angie, in her squeaky authoritative tone, would've demanded I go to the police after hearing an explanation like that. Hell, I even wondered why I hadn't gone yet. Probably because I valued my life and if there was anyone with the power to take it from me, it was Eric. I was pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate the police showing up on his doorstep making inquiries. Payback for turning him in like that would be hell. If there was one beyond being bitten, drained dry, or torn apart. Yeah, I felt more than certain I wanted to eliminate all of those possibilities if I could help it. Despite the voices on the radio my head still swam with grim details and morbid possibilities involving my future. I sighed and stared down into my mug of tea. It had gone cold. I reheated it and inhaled the fresh steam rising from the surface, savoring the scent, holding in each lungful as long as I could manage. Jasmine. The fragrance soothed me, bringing a serene smile to the surface. As I drank I mulled over the fact that I was now jobless. Financially I'd be okay for a month or two but once I finished my second cup of tea I decided it would be in my best interest to go job hunting. It was tough times for the economy, and I rather wanted to avoid becoming a permanent part of the unemployment statistic.

After a shower I trekked 3 blocks to my favorite coffee shop, ordered a cup, picked up the paper, and started browsing. Much of the day passed with my head tucked reading the help wanted ads. Most of them sounded incredibly dull or required a job skill I didn't have and had no interest in gaining. I disrupted the peacefulness of the shop with a short burst of laughter as I imagined myself applying to be an exotic dancer. After I'd had as much of the wanted ads as I could handle I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some necessities. As I walked back to my apartment with nothing else to distract me my thoughts wandered yet again to the events of two nights ago. I shut my eyes tightly as images of Nathans mutilated body washed over me. The sharp, frantic yapping of my neighbor's small dog brought me back to reality and I recovered just in time to avoid a large utility pole. Mrs. Josephine was an elderly woman of 72 but still sharp, if not sharper, than most people I've met. Frequently I stopped to chat as she would always ask about the shows being set up or taken down in the gallery but today I skirted the topic, feigning exhaustion from the burden of grocery bags. We parted at the garage entrance. My apartment was on the 3rd floor. Normally the stairs with any sort of baggage are an incredible chore but today I was actually looking forward to them. My muscles felt alive, vibrant, and begged to be used. I scaled them almost effortlessly and soon was happy to be back in my toasty warm apartment, safe and sound.

Two weeks went by with no luck on the job front and I was drinking way too much coffee for my own good. With a little more distance between the present and the shock of past events I began recalling pieces of the evening as opposed to finding myself overwhelmed by them at random moments. Specifically I was trying to recall the small portions during which I had used my 'ability' as Eric had called it. I tried to bring back the tingling sensation I remembered feeling in my scalp and at least some of the images I had plucked from Nathans brain. I tried my best to use my 'hearing' but with no vampires around I was fairly certain there wasn't anything to be heard. It made me wonder, why was it only vampires I could hear? I began spending a good deal of my afternoons on the internet, googling vampires, telepathy, and other sorts of supernatural phenomenon. I also wondered if there were others out there like me. Maybe they were so much like me, never having encountered a vampire, that they didn't know what they were. My mind began opening to so many possibilities I had to reign myself in or be completely overwhelmed. My mind drifted to Eric. Has he really seen 1,000 years pass by on this planet? The thought was staggering. All I could think was that it must take an incredibly passionate person to be able to live for that long. Were there many vampires as old as he was? Each question gave birth to another in rapid succession until I grew frustrated with the lack of results the internet provided, and gave up. I made myself a fresh cup of tea and stared hard at the card for Fangtasia as it lay harmlessly on the kitchen counter. My mind was seething with questions and there was only one person I could think of that might have the answers. I started for the phone but froze. It was still daylight out and surely he wouldn't be awake, would he? Aside from that the thought of even speaking to him again made my insides do a little dance of terror. Against my better judgment I decided to call after dark fell. A phone call would be relatively safe, I assured myself. Besides, I was too hypnotized by the appeal of someone with 1,000 years worth of knowledge tucked away in their brain to resist. I was itching to get inside his head and lucky for me, I could do just that.

The day passed by painfully slowly. What's worse is I forced myself to wait a full two hours after the sun had disappeared, my attempt at being considerate. The two hours after first waking were ones I guarded preciously and I extended that assuming everyone else did too. I liked to open up to the day slowly but once I had, I felt ready for just about anything. My heartbeat sped up noticeably as I dialed the number to Fangtasia and it started ringing. The automated voice picked up after the second ring and I sat through the directory listing finally pressing zero hoping to reach a live person.

"Fangtasia, the bar with bite." A male voice on the other end answered barely audible over the din in the background. He had a slight accent that I couldn't quite place, but I found it pleasing regardless. The bar sounded really busy.

"Hi, may I please speak to Eric?"

A long pause. "Eric who?"

I opened my mouth to answer but laughed nervously instead. Turns out I didn't know Eric's last name. "Sorry, I don't know his last name." I slapped myself on the forehead, regretting making the call. "Um, he's very tall? Blond hair, blue eyes?" There was another pause during which I heard the steady thump of music and the sounds of loud conversation.

"I'll check." He put me on hold.

My foot was tapping rapidly as I waited. I got the urge to hang up but not out of impatience. The courage I had mustered up to make the phone call was fading fast. I bit at my cuticles (a nasty habit, I know) growing more and more nervous that Eric might actually be on the other line when the phone picked back up.

"Sorry, no one here by that name and description."

"Oh," Relief was quickly followed by heavy disappointment. I somewhat suspected the man on the other end knew exactly who I was asking for, but if he wasn't going to divulge information as trivial as a last name I wasn't willing to press for it. "Thank you for checking." I hung up. I chewed at my thumb and frowned. The microwave clock read 8:07pm. The desire to go to the bar and seek information gnawed at me. I felt conflicted. As much as I found Eric to be this mysterious and alluring source of answers I was still unquestionably terrified of him. On the one hand I felt like trying to make contact with him again was akin to opening my mouth and asking someone to pour poison down my throat. But on the other, I couldn't suppress the large swell of excitement he engendered. Not just because he was a 1,000 year old vampire that had taken special interest in the ability I hadn't even known I had but, because I felt close to him in a way that was hard to explain ever since I'd fallen into his head and the healing of my arm. It was strange that in the few short hours I had been conscious around him he had made me feel more important, needed, and useful than ever before in my entire life. As if all that wasn't enough of an invitation, the chance to use my ability was easily an equally large temptation. If I went I was fairly sure I might be able to discreetly read the minds of any vampires in the bar and if Eric did happen to be there, I might be able to get my answers without the need for confrontation. The cherry on top of all this mounting agitation was feeling cooped up since losing my job. I had barely left the apartment aside from my daily job hunt and I really wanted to get out. I sighed with the resolution to head to Fangtasia. It was Friday night and very likely that the bar would be packed until closing and the more people, I figured, the safer. It probably wasn't the brightest idea to dive in head first with my talent, but I was dying to use it again. It made me feel alive. I decided with a small measure of luck I'd be able to find a secluded spot from which to spectate and listen. Onward brave adventurer, I told myself.

I don't consider myself terribly high maintenance and was proud that I was able to take a shower and get out the door in 40 minutes. I was still single and heading to a bar so I had taken great care to do my makeup artfully. I emphasized my grey eyes with a warm red eyeshadow, blending dark brown into the top crease and applied liner delicately. The blended colors brought out the green in my irises and gave the effect of a subtle glow against the dark contrast. I trembled with nervous excitement the entire drive which made the trip seem so much longer than it really was. Entering the parking lot my head buzzed with excitement and I squeezed into a space close to the back exit. I checked my shoulder length brown hair in the rear view mirror before stepping out into the cold and straightening the long sleeves of my shirt. I wouldn't need my jacket in the bar so I hurried to the front while clutching my arms to myself to keep from completely freezing. Joining the short queue at the entrance I stood directly behind a strikingly beautiful woman with long black hair that draped her shoulders in loose messy waves. She was at least 6'2", olive skinned, and sported a latex ensemble consisting of a tight laced bustier and skirt. The material was slick looking and inky black with pops of deep red in the shape of neatly tied bows. Being of a somewhat petite structure at 5'2" myself, she was a pleasantly stunning distraction as I shuffled my feet along with the rest of those in line waiting to show my ID at the door. The bar was just as full as I had anticipated. Once inside I was swallowed up by the large crowd, all dressed in very similar fashion to the woman I had followed inside. Some people pulled off their outfits incredibly well but the majority of others just ended up looking rather silly. There were definitely some interesting characters, male and female alike, whose single purpose seemed to be strutting among the crowd to show off their bodies. I had a moment of feeling oddly out of place. I hadn't even considered wearing something as elaborate as most of what I saw. I shrugged hoping my snug dark jeans and graphic long sleeve tee were appropriate enough. I glanced down at the silver and black abstracted peony design on the front of my shirt and with a nod decided I looked nice enough. I reminded myself that I was just there to listen, to test out my 'hearing', and it was probably better that I'd worn something that wouldn't draw much attention. I took an empty seat against the wall farthest from the bar but not out of sight of the front door. It was fun watching people filter in and out. As the music picked up I realized I'd taken a seat nearest the dance floor and I swept my gaze around the room, past the dancers, wondering how many vampires were actually in the bar tonight. Mostly it just looked like swarms of goth college students and other such fans of the blood drinking community.

I spent a decent amount of time soaking in the atmosphere quietly, gearing up to use my ability. I found myself feeling fairly comfortable and took a deep breath, ready to begin. I wasn't sure at all how to do this voluntarily, but I relaxed as best I could and opened myself to the room. I imagined my arms spreading wide to embrace everything in order to pull it into me. At first, nothing happened. My head was silent aside from the constant throb of music and internal commands to relax, just relax. Then, a slight tickle began at the base of my skull and snaked it's way up my scalp to the crown of my head where it settled. The sensation was akin to having someone trail a finger up your spine, then rest the points of all five fingertips on your scalp. Five fingers. Suddenly the significance of the number dawned on me and I knew intuitively that there were five vampires in this bar. Only five? I blinked and straightened in my seat, excited, trying to visually pick them out of the crowd. Visual contact was a failure. I focused on the five tingling points, attempting to hone in on one in particular. There was a spot just above my left ear that felt particularly active. It was prickling intensely, riding on the edge of becoming painful. Suddenly and without much effort on my part, everything clicked into place simultaneously and it took me a moment to sort through all the incoming information.

"_So boring, these creatures... if only they didn't taste so good."_ I couldn't contain my reaction to the word 'blood bag' and scrunched my face, imagining I could see myself from across the room. I watched my body stiffen slightly in my seat and realized I was tuned in to what the vampire was currently seeing. I thrilled at my own ability but quickly struggled to break the connection as I realized he had decided to approach me from across the room. The intentions felt anything but polite or romantic and I recoiled physically, coming back to myself. I did my best to avoid looking at the vampire entirely as I pantomimed an urgent need to use the bathroom and hustled off successfully avoiding contact. I was even grateful for the small line that had formed inside the ladies' room door. I waited it out paying close attention to that sharp sensation in my scalp I knew to be the vampire I had fled from. How poorly I had gauged the extent of my own safety. I shook my head, vowing to pay closer attention and be incredibly careful from here on out. Abruptly my own thoughts were drowned out by a massive flood of pent up rage and ravenous hunger. It felt savage and cruel. The 'mind' of the vampire flared white hot on my scalp, and it felt like being burned with a cigarette butt. I had aunts and uncles who were notorious chain smokers, as well as alcoholics. Family gatherings were usually disastrous and someone ended up with a burn mark or two, more often than not accidentally. I was startled and my hand flew up to feel for the scorched patch of flesh beneath my hair. I found none.

After I emerged from the bathroom I kept my eyes out for any approaching figures. I hadn't seen the vampire, but I knew it was male. I was fairly certain I'd be able to spot the malice in motion without knowing his face. I relaxed somewhat, deciding to grab a drink at the bar before heading to a new seat. The last flash of thoughts had set my entire body on edge. On top of that, almost like a fail-safe switch programmed into my brain, my ability had shut off as a reaction to the unexpected pain and I couldn't seem to flip it back on. Eventually I decided I was fine with that for now, even if I was a little disappointed. It meant I wouldn't be able to pick Eric's brain for any of the answers I so desperately sought. Ah well. I was beginning to doubt he was even here at all. Slowly I sipped at the incredibly boozy bourbon and coke, smiling as it spread a slow warming fire through my stomach.

To my delight the DJ was playing music I could dance to, and with the alcohol having loosened my limbs I got up and joined the dancing crowd on the floor. By 1am I was pleasantly tired and ready to head home. I slid through the crowd, making as little bodily contact as could be helped, heaving a sigh to catch my breath after all that dancing. I turned to avoid a couple dancing vigorously and made my way towards the door, squeezing between body after body, eventually having to gently pat the pinched waist of a slender woman with blond hair in an attempt to get past her. Instead of moving aside she turned to stare down at me. In an instant I recognized Pam. She was in a leather bustier laced tightly up the front with a long slinky black skirt and red spike heels. Even in the ridiculously campy outfit she was stunning. Her lips were soft, pillowy, and painted a deep red. I gawked at her and jerked back slightly in surprise. Her thickly lined eyes glistened dangerously in the low light. "Excuse me, I'm just trying to get by." I attempted the most courteous tone I could muster. She terrified me just about as much as Eric, if not more so. It's true Eric had been the one that made the attempt to drain me of life, but he had also made an effort to keep me around even if it was to serve his own purposes. She, on the other hand, would rather them all be rid of me, which she'd made perfectly clear. My jaw tightened, ruining my smile as I anxiously waited to see if she would let me past. I could force my away around her, but I really wanted to avoid being rude. My gaze fixated on her mouth as she leaned in close to speak so that I could hear her over the music.

"Amelia?" She half-growled, giving me what amounted to a crocodile's smile. "Eric requested that I bring you to him should I bump into you." I felt her cool skin brush against my cheek as she spoke directly into my ear. She felt powdery soft and smelled sweet. When I didn't answer she pulled back and inclined her head toward the area of the club that I knew led back to the corridor that Eric's office lay off of. An area I had purposefully avoided all night. Strong but delicate fingers wrapped around my wrist in a movement so fluid it left me convinced that she was comprised of something entirely other than muscle. Her grip was dry and very cool despite the warmth of the air in the club.

I felt like I was being escorted to the principle's office. What had I done? I hesitated, and was grateful when she stopped and fixed me with a steely gaze instead of yanking me the rest of the way through the crowd. I answered quickly. "I was just leaving and I really need to get home. Can this wait until some other time?" I felt desperate to get away especially now that I knew Eric was here. "I'm worried about falling asleep on the drive." I exaggerated.

"I'm just following orders." She left me no room for argument and continued to lead me, not to Eric's office as I had expected, but to a large private booth sectioned off by a red velvet rope. I was surprised when she unhooked it and waited for me to take my seat. It was an oddly courteous gesture coming from Pam. Reluctantly I did so, keeping a careful eye on her as she continued to regard me with significant distrust. Her expression was tight and guarded but her mind was not. She considered me a threat to Eric and those under his command. All vampires guarded their secrets closely and she thought it should very much stay that way. A skinny waitress with too much dark makeup smudged around her eyes sauntered over, carrying a small drink on a tray and set it in front of me on a bright red napkin. I thanked her instinctively but turned to Pam, attempting to indicate I hadn't ordered it. "Courtesy of Mr. Northman." Was her only reply before she walked away to attend to her other duties. I fidgeted nervously while I waited. I nearly knocked over my complimentary drink when, for a second time, the white hot intensity on my scalp flared to life again, and all I could feel were fangs and ill will. The surge was so sudden and so strong I clapped a hand over my mouth, convinced that I had just grown fangs. I ran my tongue frantically over my teeth but found nothing out of the ordinary. I was on the verge of being completely overwhelmed by this vampire's thoughts when, just as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. I stared hard at my drink, gripping it tightly in both hands, attempting to focus and steady myself. I made a quick panicked sweep of the crowd and didn't see any immediate danger. I felt more and more vulnerable the longer I sat and decided if Eric didn't show up in the next five minutes, I was leaving. Screw Pam's orders.

To my relief and dismay, Eric appeared at the edge of my peripheral vision just before he slid into the seat across from me, folding his hands neatly on the table. I felt a thrill in the pit of my stomach , genuinely appreciating the sight of his broad figure in the sleek black business suit and a partially unbuttoned shirt the color of Alizarin Crimson squeezed straight out of the paint tube. He bore a mischievous, flirty smile and was directing it at me with great effect. I squirmed, pretending to adjust my posture. Oddly, I felt safer with him close by but at the same time was just as concerned for my safety. At least at this distance I would see his attack coming.

"Amelia, Amelia," He said, casting his gaze out at the crowd quickly then returned it to me. "So nice to see you again."

"Eric." I half-smiled and nodded. It was the first time I'd heard him use my name, and it tightened things in my stomach. I did my best to hide that fact.

"How's your drink?" He gestured to the untouched glass in my hands.

"Oh, I haven't touched it, but," I was stumbling over my words. "Pam caught me on my way out and I won't be able to drive if I drink it." He fixed me with an appraising gaze. "But thank you." I added hastily not wanting to seem ungrateful.

He leaned forward slightly, resting on his elbows. "What brings you back so soon then? It must be me." He grinned and winked, some subtle innuendo flickering across his face that was lost on me.

"It's Friday, I wanted to get out." I flushed and lowered my gaze, embarrassed by the truth in his statement. I also felt slightly annoyed, if idle chatter was going to be the sole purpose of his demanding I see him.

"And yet of all the places, you came here." He observed. "Why?"

"I guess I," I hesitated, "Was hoping you might have some answers."

"It depends on the questions." His entire posture became closed off and aloof before switching back just as rapidly. "So you did come just to see me." I caught a flash of his white teeth as he smiled, an eyebrow raised in triumph.

"Have you ever met anyone else like me?" I avoided his statement going right to the first question I could think of. My mind had blanked at the start of the conversation but slowly everything was floating back to the surface.

"Exactly like you?" He lifted his chin up, considering. "No."

Immediately I caught the sense he was feeding me a half-truth. He wasn't lying, per se, but he wasn't divulging all the details either. The image of a blond voluptuous woman pranced in my brain. I slanted one side of my mouth giving him a skeptical look. He challenged it with a smile. The music was loud and I was having a hard time hearing him as it was so I decided to stick to questions that required a yes or no.

"Does Pam want to kill me?" I hated how panicked that sounded.

He laughed and it lit up his eyes. "There are a lot of people Pam would like to kill. I wouldn't worry about that."

"Are there many vampires as old as you?" I was curious how much information he'd be willing to share.

"No. Not in America at least. In Europe, and especially the farther East you go, it's a different story. There are some much, much older than I am." His tone had a faintly ominous ring to it.

I simply mouthed 'wow'. He smiled faintly.

"You must have to have an immense passion for life, or the things that make it worth living to survive for that long. A thousand years... and beyond that..." It wasn't so much a question as a statement on my part. I contemplated the idea further before returning my attention back to Eric specifically. "What keeps you going? Surely after that long things must become so dull, so repetitive."

For the briefest of moments, he looked astonished. I wondered if I had tactlessly crossed some social boundary but to my surprise he answered. "Little wonders, here and there." His smile was cool, and his gaze was meaningfully fixed on me.

I nodded, soaking in the idea. What did he consider wonderful?

"Please," He interrupted my train of thought, "stay, so you can enjoy your drink." I think he said it to ward off any further questions. "If necessary I'll have a car take you home." I was surprised. It was a generous offer.

"That's really very nice of you but I'll need my car tomorrow to get to-" I stopped mid-sentence and my expression soured. I was going to say work but quickly realized my mistake and the small pang of loss caught me off guard.

"Work?" He supplied helpfully but with a dubious grin.

I shook my head and shrugged, tipping back the highball to avoid explaining. Plus, I was feeling more and more like I deserved that second drink. "I'll just wait it out or get a cab, but thanks for the offer."

He laughed lightly looking pleased and slipped out of the booth to smooth down the front of his jacket before slipping his hands inside the pockets of his slacks. I found the entire performance entrancing. I looked up at him from my seat, a thousand questions still burning away in my brain, the alcohol on my tongue the only thing keeping them from tumbling out. I remembered reading an article about vampire senses being at least 300 times keener than that of us humans. 300 seemed like such an exaggeration. But if that were true how could he and the others stand the noise of a night club? The volume level was borderline painful to my own ears and I imagined that when amplified it would be excruciating. I was just about to fire off another series of questions at him before he quickly spoke.

"If you'll excuse me a moment." He gave a slight bow of his head and slipped away. I was left nodding at nothing.

I nursed the sweating drink in my hands, my mind slowly becoming a murky pool of questions. My eyes trailed from patron to patron, wondering if each one had blood that tasted different from the other. What did my blood taste like? I flushed when I realized all I had to do was ask Eric to find out. I finished the last of the bourbon and coke rather quickly, to my own surprise. I felt much less coherent than before, but happier too. I smiled like a fool and reveled in the pleasurable mood I suddenly found myself in. I was warm and fuzzy all over.

"You look like the cat that's eaten the mouse." Eric said standing to my right.

I scooted away from him, thinking he was demanding room to sit in the booth but he simply stood and stared at me. I thought he looked faintly amused. That might also have been due to my own amusement. I grinned and snorted a short giggle. The word eaten repeated in my head. I stared at his stomach since it was eye level. I forced my brain to focus. "Drank it would be more accurate. I think I'll be needing that cab."

"Indeed." He agreed. "Come to my office, I have something to ask of you first." Without waiting for a response he extended his hand to me. "I promise to call you a cab after."

I was feeling fairly compliant and accepted his offer, placing my palm in his as I scooted out of the booth. His hand engulfed mine. It wasn't until that moment that I truly got a sense of just how large his frame was compared to mine. I barely came eye level with his chest and because of his proximity to me I had to crane my head back just to look him in the eye. He raised a brow at me and pulled me along beside him. As we wandered the crowd parted swiftly to make way for Eric. It was pretty impressive, I have to say. He dragged me across the dance floor, through the staff only door and down the long narrow hall to his office with great purpose. I gave his hand an anxious squeeze to get his attention then withdrew mine. Now that it came down to it, I really did not want to go in there if I could help it.

"Couldn't you just ask me out here?" I was anxious to know what he wanted.

"Trust me." He stood with the door open, waiting. I hesitated a long moment then reluctantly walked past him as he shut the door behind us. "Did you hear anything interesting tonight?"

It didn't take me long to realize he was referring to vampire minds, not idle chit-chat. "Hmm..." I sighed, drawing out the sound. "Yes." I said decisively. "I learned that I am a 'blood bag'." I emphasized the quotation with my fingers. Eric smirked. I wondered if I should share my one real encounter of the evening but I wasn't certain that I wanted to. No harm had come from it, and it didn't seem like a threat to Eric or his business. I shrugged.

"That's all?" He asked skeptically.

"I was able to count at least 5 vampires. Their mental signatures, I mean. I have no idea what they looked like."

At that he managed to look decently impressed.

"What is this, Eric?" I gestured to my head. "I can't help but feel like you're the one who did this to me. I've never experienced anything like this before..." I rubbed at my neck, the specific incident still fresh in my mind.

"You give me too much credit. I may be powerful, but an ability such as yours is not the result of my influence." He paused then added, "Unfortunately."

We stared at each other for a long moment in complete silence; I in confusion and he, in some unreadable state.

"I have another job for you." The cat was finally out of the bag.

I cringed. "Will it involve eviscerating anyone else? I couldn't handle seeing something like that again." I shook my head for emphasis.

"Then you'll just have to close your eyes. My people and I will do what it takes to defend our territory. I'm sorry, but I won't make any promises on that." His voice was resolute.

I smiled weakly in acceptance of that fact and waited to hear the rest.

"There is a vampire in Shreveport, a very old and very powerful vampire, Elario." His gaze flickered over the apparent question on my face. "Yes, even older and more powerful than myself. Which is what concerns me."

I listened intently, eyes wide. Eric didn't seem the type to be easily intimidated. His cold eyes fixed on mine.

"Pam and I think he is interested in gaining control of this area and our assets. He has called for a meeting tomorrow and I want to be sure of his intentions. A shift in power would mean a hostile takeover, and I am not prepared to go quietly. Our losses could be severe. What I need from you, Amelia, is to play my escort for tomorrow evening and listen to Elario, find out his plans."

My face blanched. I couldn't even begin to explain how dangerous that sounded.

Eric read the panic on my face correctly and smoothed a hand along my shoulder in assurance. "This meeting is just a formality to announce his presence to the area, you will be safe. I do not expect him to attempt anything so soon."

I nodded my understanding slowly. "You're sure of that?" I asked like a child would after you check for monsters under their bed. At least these monsters were real. "The mind reading I get, but what would being your escort entail?"

At that his smile broadened and he leaned closer, the faint scent of his cologne trailing around me. "Many, many things..." His voice purred in my ear. I tensed and shivered. I swatted away his approaching hands.

"I'm serious." I backed farther away from him. "I need to know exactly what role I'll be playing so I don't get caught off guard. I'm a terrible liar if I'm not prepared."

"Well," He considered thoughtfully. "Dress nicely, not like the trash that regularly comes into the bar. A simple party dress would do nicely." He examined my figure with a nod and took a step closer, pinching off the distance I had put between us. "Do not speak unless spoken to." Another step. "Most importantly, and never forget this, do not reveal your ability to _anyone_ there."

"Eric," I made a pained expression, that last statement scaring me more than anything. "I don't think this is a good idea. I barely have any control over, whatever it is you'd call this and it keeps manifesting new aspects each time I use it." I felt hot and flustered and he was much too close for my own comfort. He raised his hand to brush back hair from my face and I flinched. It was slight, but still there.

"And try not to be so terrified of me." His voice was gentle and persuasive. I felt a wave of calm pressing at me, a persistent nudging at my psyche. I shook my head, knocking it away and he sighed. "Simply put, just play my besotted human companion for one evening in order to listen to Elario and his vampires."

"Easier said than done." I murmured.

"Your pay for the evening would be $1,500."

I had to keep my eyes from bugging out of my skull. $1,500 was a lot of money for just one evening. I gnawed at my bottom lip, feeling incredibly conflicted and worried. "I feel like I'm picking sides in a war before I know the cause. Can I think about this? My head isn't right." I searched his face for any further hints of information.

Eric regarded me with narrowed eyes until he finally said, "It's a war we're hoping to avoid. You have until dawn to give me your answer." He swiped a business card off his desk that looked identical to the one currently lying on my kitchen counter at home and handed it to me. This one had Eric's name and extension on it.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" I slipped the card into my pocket. Aside from monetary gain he hadn't provided me with much motivation for getting involved.

He adopted a sitting lean against the front of his desk, folding his arms against his chest. My head was beginning to clear, but I still wouldn't be able to manage driving. Suddenly I caught glimpses from Eric. He was anticipating tomorrow with some measure of anxiety, however minor it felt. The thing I read the most from him was agitation. He wasn't quite sure how to bend me to his will just yet without breaking me. He cursed not knowing more about me. Surely I had family or friends that I cared about deeply, someone he could use as leverage. As the meaning behind his thoughts registered, I couldn't contain my expression. I stared at him, mouth hung open, appalled. Then, I felt something quite unlike anything I'd felt before. His mind snapped shut faster than a steel trap. It was like receiving a small static shock. I jumped.

"How did you-" Was all I managed before he was on me in a flash, looming over my small physique, hands clasped around my shoulders. "Eric, let me go!" I was startled and struggled in his iron grip. "You can't just bully me into it!" I twisted furiously then finally looked up at him. His face was deadly serious and his eyes bored holes into my head. It sufficiently quieted my wiggling.

"You asked me before, if I had ever known others like you. I swear that personally I have not. But I have heard of others just like yourself, but only from the tales of other vampires and their consorts." He loosened his grip slightly and straightened as if preparing to relay something that was difficult to put into words. It was an oddly human gesture. "Those of your kind are so few and unknown because they are often... executed on the spot. If a vampire finds them out. We are a dangerously secretive lot"

I covered my face with my hands. I didn't know what else to do. "Oh, god." I breathed into my palms. I had been so stupid to come back here. So stupid. "Why!" I threw my hands out furiously. "What makes you all so damn important you can decide to just extinguish life as you see fit. I've never heard something so disgusting!" Which wasn't entirely true, it just reminded me more of the daily atrocities human beings were so capable of visiting upon each other. I whipped away from him heading for the door but he blocked my passage before I could blink.

"Listen." He held me fast with little more than his gaze. "What I need you to understand is this; While I do not wish to kill you, others most certainly would. I have employed your skills once already, and if Elario were to take over and force from me my list of assets, you would be numbered among them." His tone was stony and I had a hard time deciphering whether he meant this information to be a threat, or if he was simply conveying the raw power and influence Elario would have over him.

I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the ceiling, a pained gesture. When I lowered my gaze a swell of tears flooded my eyes and I threw my arms up, utterly exasperated. "Fine, fine! You win." They flopped back to my sides helplessly and my shoulders sank. I moved and fell back onto the small leather couch, resting my forehead in my hands. Several minutes of silence followed. When I finally looked up Eric was still standing at the door not having moved a single inch, watching me. I felt exhausted. Funny that encounters with him had that effect on me. "What time do I need to be here?" My voice sounded too quiet, even to me.

"I'll have a car pick you up at 9. The meeting will start shortly after 10 which should give you some time to adjust." He walked to the couch and offered me a hand up. I ignored it and stood.

"Adjust?" I repeated.

He leaned down and gently blew at my ear. I practically jolted out of my skin. He laughed, but not like it was terribly funny. "Some actress you are. If any of the vampires notice reactions like that one they will be suspicious. Give that some thought."

I frowned and bit the inside of my lip. I didn't blame myself at all for having the gut reactions to Eric that I did. It felt as close to survival instinct as anything I could imagine. I straightened, feeling more sober than I had when this whole conversation began, and raised the palm of my hand to indicate my departure. "Great." I sighed, moving to the door. "See you tomorrow."

"Won't you need a cab?"

"I'll be fine." I said wearily and shut the door behind me. I wasn't entirely sure that I would be (which is incredibly irresponsible of me, I know) but I just couldn't be around him any longer. I felt sick with worry as I climbed into the freezing driver's seat of my car and waited out the small remaining effects of the alcohol, Eric's words tumbling ceaselessly around inside my head. The road was thankfully devoid of other motorists. Once home my car gave a light groan as I stepped out of it and onto the sidewalk. On the second flight of stairs I realized Eric didn't have my address and I'd have to drive to the bar myself. I fought with the urge to just leave town and never return. I could have Mrs. Josephine send me my things. I'd be in another city, safe and far away from Eric and Pam. Maybe, Elario was so strong Eric would die before he got the chance to divulge my secret. Something in me doubted that very much. I thought of the others Eric had mentioned, those that were like me and wondered what their lives had been like before their unlucky discovery and untimely demise. I shuddered and crawled under the heavy winter blankets on my bed, turning my face to the pillow so it would catch my tears. My mind ran circles around itself and soon after I was sucked down into a night of fitful sleep with dreams of dark circling figures that had shining sharp white teeth.


	3. Workhorse

Chapter 3

Two Months Later.

There was a small office clock staring at me with black and lime green hands ticking away the hour. It was 2:34 am. Eric sat across from me behind his desk in a forest green tank top and loose jeans. He was cool, composed, and unknown to me, very irritable. Either I was getting terrible at reading his emotions lately or he was being more careful about masking them. I knew he appreciated his privacy. After spending a little over two months working for him he had become well practiced in blocking me out entirely. Sometimes it was a little maddening. I never truly knew what was going on in his head and he seemed to much prefer it that way.

"So, what do you have for me?" He steepled his fingers in what struck me as a very cliche gesture. "Any interesting topics come up?"

His tone was so soft and even it sounded sleepy. My mind wandered as I watched a muscle leap in his jaw. Do vampires get sleepy? They don't actually needto sleep, and from what I understand they don't really fall asleep come daybreak. They just die. Sort of. I had begun to think of the process as a ball losing its forward momentum. After all, you couldn't very well die if you were already dead. It's like they simply lost power, or their fuel cells needed to shut off in order to recharge, or whatever force of will propelling them along lost touch with their bodies come sunrise.

"Amelia." He snapped his fingers.

I jerked in my chair as my elbow slipped from the armrest, jarring me to attention. He wasn't the sleepy one, I was. Guiltily I gathered myself up and bore the weight of his stern gaze. "Sorry." I pulled my fingers through my hair to straighten and sort it. "Not all here today." I mumbled. "Brain is very distracted. These nights are really wearing on me." I rubbed at my temples.

It was true. This past week alone had consisted of getting up at 8 am and going well into the wee morning hours. That same schedule could also be loosely applied to define what the past two months had been like. And that's nothing to say of the roller coaster emotional rides some of the evenings had become. Mix in the wrong vampire, a vampire mind reader and things tended to get a bit ugly. You'd think that being in fear for your life on a weekly basis might help you develop an immunity to it, but I was still waiting for mine. It was exhausting work and caffeine did little at all anymore. At this point you could say I was deliriously tired and because of it emotionally unstable.

"Well _get_ all here, or we'll be forced to move onto methods beyond energy drinks to keep you going."

There was a threat in his voice that tightened my stomach and propelled me by means of nervous energy straight out of my chair. Eric's method of motivation with me rarely fell on the side of positive reinforcement. I knew he needed my ability, especially now more than ever, but that wasn't enough to make me feel safe or secure. Even if he seemed to determined to use me as an asset, I held no delusions about what I really was to any vampire; a threat. I did my best to remind myself of that constantly and believing there would always be follow through on Eric's threats helped. Unfortunately it also made me feel incredibly unappreciated and edgy.

I paced about his office, moving quickly from being frightened and anxious to irritable and angry, dwelling darkly on his methods of procuring information from me and that he never even said thank you. I felt myself begin to scowl. I wouldn't be so distracted if he allowed me just one or two nights of real sleep per week. Ever since he discovered my ability I'd been working practically non-stop. It was either for him or with him, practicing my skills, learning vampire politics (in which I had very little interest), or listening as hard as I could to help him strengthen the sound-proof wall he'd built up against me. I still had my daytime life to keep up with and there were things that needed doing that just couldn't get done past normal business hours. It was a constant pain for me to struggle with and there was no consideration shown for it. I felt my temper flare and my cheeks grow hot. I managed to wrestle myself down a few degrees before I responded.

"Listen." I set my jaw and spoke very clearly. "I don't have anything for you tonight. I just can't concentrate when I'm this exhausted."

He shot me a scathing, skeptical look.

"Fine," I sneered. "I can function, but not very well. If a half-ass job is what you want, by all means that's what I can currently give you. Or I can go home, get some sleep, and actually be worth something tomorrow."

I covered my mouth in an effort to hide the jaw cracking yawn that, I had to admit, my body timed perfectly. There was a long stretch of silence during which Eric regarded me with a stony expression. After a few more moments of that unchanging gaze, I was convinced he hadn't even been listening to my reasonable plea, and that thought ignited an explosion of fury within me. I stared at him in disbelief, unable to understand why he was refusing to acknowledge what I had just said. Every additional second of silence was like adding a barrel of gasoline to the fire inside me. Finally, I exploded.

"You know what? I quit. I'm tired of being threatened, and I'm tired of trying to function like this. I'm going home and then I'm going to bed." I snatched up my sweater and then my purse, old words of warning from Eric echoing in my head. "And I don't care if you twist my limbs or drain me dry or blah blah blah scary vampire threats. If you're gonna do it, do it. Don't waste my time talking to me about it. Enjoy the rest of eternity." I slammed the door on my way out.

I was rushing, partially fueled by the heat of my anger and the fact that I knew I had a very small window in which to make my exit successful. This wasn't the first time I'd stormed out of his office. Usually he gave me a few minutes to cool off and then he or Pam came to find me. Eric had made it quite clear at the beginning of my employment that he didn't trust me farther than he could throw me, (which, to be fair, was pretty far) and would be heavily reticent to let me go once I started to get my brain all up in his business. Regardless of his warning I had agreed. I had felt so unique and special and was tremendously excited to actually be getting paid for using an ability I knew not many others had. It was a rush and a thrill unlike anything I'd ever known. He'd said it would be hard and often dangerous work, but I didn't care. In the excitement of the early days I may have also glazed over the fact that one evening I had distinctly gleaned from him that he'd rather see me dead than let me go. As I made my way to the car that memory came flooding back, and I hoped to all heaven that I'd be safe until morning so that by daybreak I could be gone.

My heels hit the pavement hard as I grumbled, hating politics, hating vampires, and especially hating Eric. He kept me on a short leash, on which I always felt like he dangled me as bait instead of using it as a lifeline to pull me to his side to keep me safe. It was ridiculous. It was insulting. What hope did I have of protecting myself against vampires if he wouldn't? When he'd hired me I had thought his intention had been to protect me. He had certainly proven me wrong.

My mind raced as I sped down the highway, barely registering any of my surroundings. The numerous threats of my employer echoed in my head, some chilling me, others just pissing me off further. I was done. I could find work and go to school in another state. I didn't need the glamor of being special. The year it took to become a resident I could find a job and save money and just get some rest. In my fury I felt certain he wouldn't dare follow me. I angrily whipped my car into the parking space at the front of my apartment and began digging for the key to open the front door to the building. I should have been watching where I was going, so when I looked up it was too late. I was as good as trapped.

Eric's tall muscular frame was propped against the heavy blue door that the key in my hand would unlock. I stumbled to a halt and blanched at the sight of him. The inside of my head went cold as I realized I couldn't get into the building and I wasn't fast enough to make it back to my car. I tried to regain my composure by making my tone as nasty as possible.

"What?" My eyes narrowed.

"I was hoping for a kiss goodbye." His eyebrows rose in what looked like absolute sincerity. I knew better.

"You've got to be kidding me." I exclaimed, annoyed and now slightly terrified. "Move, Eric." I jangled the keys in my hand, watching his eyes drift to them for the briefest moment. I truly hadn't expected him to follow me, let alone beat me to my own front door. "Now."

"Of course." He took three steps to the left then stopped. "Once I have your word you'll come back to work for me."

The hope of a new beginning in a different state died somewhere inside me and brought with it a sour frown. I could feel the muscles in my brow creasing, clearly displaying my displeasure. I stared at him long and hard willing myself into his head. I was only met with that cool, familiar solid wall. I gave the silence a moment more to breathe loudly between us.

"No."

He shrugged and resumed his lean against the building. I felt myself truly enter emotional overload. I was so angry at him and terrified of the consequences I was facing the two feelings crashed into each other and did battle over the right to control my next impulse like two warring titans. Part of me wanted to rush up and shove him aside, using the small silver dagger I had begun carrying in my purse to defend myself against him if it came to physical blows. The other half of me wanted to just run screaming or buckle under the pressure and continue being his workhorse. Slowly, and with a bit of a tremble, I pretended to place my keys in my purse, fingers desperately searching for the tiny blade. If I could just get a hold on it, I told myself, I'd feel a lot safer.

"I might be tired Eric, and even though you scare me I still won't give in. Not this time." I'd found what I was searching for and slipped it deftly into the wrist of my sleeve, making a large flourish of setting my bag down to sit on the pavement. "I also won't burst into flames when the sun comes up." I added colorfully. I felt breathless until I was sure he hadn't noticed my concealing the weapon. Feeling more confident, I boasted. "I can wait all night." I was fairly certain Eric wasn't stupid enough to wait around until sunrise, but it seemed like the best I could do for now.

I watched his eyes narrow slightly in consideration. Then, he sat down. The next thing he did made me want to pull my hair out. He smiled. "You have until just before dawn then."

Of course it had been a weak threat, so I tried another. "What if I call the cops? Get the vamp squad out to arrest you for harassment." I relished the thought. "Or at least occupy you long enough for me to get inside." I smiled and knew it looked unpleasant.

"Ah yes, the vamp squad." He laughed lightly, slipping a hand into his pocket. "They do so enjoy their work." He held out his hand. "You might need this, though. You left it in my office." I squinted. It was my cell phone. Shit.

"Fine." I scowled. "I'll come back to work." I lied prettily and then wondered why I hadn't just taken this route earlier. I could have already been in bed sound asleep.

Eric stood up and strode forward. Startled, I scrambled to my feet and backed away to keep the distance between us the same. Not that it mattered really. He could be on top of me in a fraction of a second but I needed to cling to this illusion of control to stay sane. I think he realized it too, because he stopped advancing and watched at me. I let the sleeves of my coat fall over my hands and nervously fingered the handle of the small blade.

"If I can't trust your word, Ms. Stratton, I have no reason to keep you alive." Something deadly slipped into his gaze and lurked just beneath the surface of his expression. "I think you understand that in more ways than my words can explain."

At that my resolve began to weaken. It wasn't just his threat, though. Because of my severe exhaustion the cold was eating away at me, and I couldn't remember a time when I'd felt more miserable. There was a dull ache in my head and I could no longer feel my toes. I shifted and shivered, huddling down into my coat as much as I could manage. My spirit was breaking, and in the light of getting small amounts of sleep as opposed to never waking up ever again... well, which one would you pick?

Palms upturned in a peaceful gesture he took a small step towards me. To my surprise, I didn't react. "You're freezing. Invite me in and let's talk."

"N-no thanks." I managed through lightly chattering teeth.

He could already enter the apartment lobby, but not the individual residences. I wasn't stupid enough to invite him into my home, but I was starting to think talking to him in the lobby couldn't hurt. My mind spun circles around itself. I didn't want to get any closer to him, but I was aching to get inside to some real warmth so badly. With an audible groan I brought my keys back out. His triumph clear, he grinned and motioned to the door in a way that said 'after you'.

I kept my head low as I trudged past him and unlocked the door. I made no effort to hold it open for him and without so much as a whisper from the soles of his shoes he easily slipped inside. In the time it took me to turn around and settle into one of the few worn out armchairs, Eric had taken his seat and was waiting patiently with one leg casually draped over the other. As I sat he inhaled deeply and it made me aware of the smell of the fading air freshener and the general stale quality of the atmosphere in the lobby. The fixation of his gaze had turned from the poorly hung and ugly decorations to me, which I assumed meant he was ready to talk.

"I don't want to work for you anymore, but I'd like to keep living." As annoyed and tired as I was I did my best to keep my tone level and, in my opinion, professional. I sat up and folded my hands in my lap, keeping myself as upright as possible so I wouldn't fall asleep in the comfortable warmth. "So how do we go about resolving this?"

"Four weeks notice." He said smoothly.

I blinked. "Four weeks. You're kidding. You've gone from imminent death to four weeks notice. Which, by the way, is twice what any job would ask." I shook my head in refusal and tried to look as serious and solemn as possible. I was desperate for him to take me seriously.

The majority of the time I felt like he regarded me like an uneducated child. Someone who would only harm themselves if left to their own devices. Considering the nature of my talent and the closely guarded secrecy in which most vampires lived, in the beginning, that hadn't been too far from the truth. But I had now spent two long months with Eric and felt confident enough that I could take care of myself. I had him to thank for a lot of that, I bitterly admitted, and it made me feel suddenly guilty. For all the threats he'd made, he'd never followed through on them and technically he had saved my life. More than just once.

"This isn't just any job." His stony gaze had returned and his icy blues looked the color of winter air, if it had a hue. "Four weeks, considering the loss I'd be taking, is incredibly generous. It's not as though I can replace you." His cold eyes glittered and fixed on me hard as steel. "Another point to consider is your own safety. How is your control now compared to when we first met? What happens when you become careless and slip up?" He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I won't be around to help you."

I grit my teeth, not at all enjoying the implication of his last statement. "And what happens if I just quit and leave tomorrow?" My entire posture had slowly begun slumping forward and now my chin was resting in my hand.

I was so tired and not entirely beyond just pure antagonization at this point. My hope of leaving tomorrow just after daybreak had officially died when Eric had followed me home, so at this juncture I had nothing to lose than a little more sleep. He stared at me making no reply and I simply blinked at him sleepily. It didn't affect my vision, but I could feel the dull glassy film over my eyes and knew I must look as I felt, detached and distant. A few long minutes dragged between us during which my blinks grew longer and longer. Finally I just shut my eyes.

"Alright, Amelia. What do you want?" His tone said: See? I can be reasonable.

His voice broke through my drowsing, making my head spin. He was offering to compromise? My head seemed to empty of all thought and the only demand I wanted to make was a week off to catch up on sleep. I knew enough to know that now was not the time to try negotiating. I drew myself up to stand, staggering slightly before I regained my balance.

"For now? To catch up on sleep and some time to think about what I want." I was looking down at him still sitting in his chair. "At this moment what I feel like I want is being driven by a truck load of stress. It's not that I think I would like to stay, but there is probably a more reasonable way to go about this whole arrangement."

He paused to consider, then said. "I'll be back in two days." He rose from his chair all swift and easy grace.

"Four, and I'll come to Fangtasia." I countered, my tone indicating I was not willing to budge.

It would take me at least two days to catch up on sleep and I would seriously need the third to formulate a plan and the fourth to revise it. I hated rushing.

"If that doesn't work for you then it's back to plan A, which is me leaving at daybreak and we'll have a fun game of cat and mouse across the country."

I began walking to the elevator, not bothering to wait for his reply. I tagged the button with a quick swipe and turned my head to watch him. It would be four days or nothing. If he refused I'd start packing as soon as I could and driving come first light in whichever direction pleased me. Another sleepless day wasn't going to kill me. On the other hand, he just might.

"That is, if you can manage to get away." I grinned stupidly, challenging him. I knew just how busy the bar business kept him. He might be over 1,000 years old, but even that can't make up for there not being enough hours in a day. Or night.

While listening to the hum of the elevator I thought I saw him twitch. It was subtle and I wouldn't have even noticed it if the agitation on his face wasn't so clear. For a moment I was worried. Then, unexpectedly, he softened. I can't say exactly why, but there it was. It was in the way he gently rolled his shoulders back and down, a foot cocked outward, and one long slender hand tucked itself half-way into his front pocket. "Four days." He said, and there was that softness in his smile that I found so confusing, so disarming, and so very not characteristic of the Eric I knew. After that he vanished, or seemed to. Vampire speed was something I was still getting used to.

The chime of the elevator startled me so much that I literally jumped and had to fight with my heart-rate all the way up to the 7th floor. The familiar smell of my apartment soothed my weary heart more than I anticipated and despite the events of the evening I fell easily into my bedtime routine. Four days. I was safe for four more days. Settling into bed I wrestled with my sheets nervously, tossing and turning until exhaustion took over, ensuring a heavy and dreamless sleep.


	4. Escape

Chapter 4

It was dusk and night was falling quickly. I had only one day left. The first two I spent sleeping as planned and today had been dedicated to dealing with massive loads of laundry along with copious amounts of crumpled paper from a large yellow legal pad. I had been writing, rewriting, adding, and subtracting ideas from my list of demands all day. At every turn I thought of something new or struck out an item entirely. It was maddening. I was no farther along than when I had started earlier in the day. It felt rather silly that I was only just now immensely concerned with the different facets and angles of my employment with Eric after having spent the past two months with him no questions asked. I had been incredibly naive, trusting only his word and had not bothered to get anything in writing. I wanted to slap myself just thinking about it and bolster my contractual defenses against him. Then part of me considered that he had been very true to his word when he had given it, and there had been perks here and there (mostly related to him saving my ass) that had been easy to overlook in the collective chaos of things. I chewed at the pen I was using, frustrated. This was going to take all night.

By 9:53 pm the next night I was finally ready to head to Fangtasia. My phone had begun ringing shortly after dark. I had just turned it on that evening, having switched it off three nights before to avoid interruption, and the sudden sound startled me. The first call was from Fangtasia. I ignored it. I knew that if I picked it up, Eric would be on the other end and I wasn't prepared to talk to him just yet. Deciding that I'd get there when I was good and ready I flipped the settings to silent and shoved it to the bottom of my purse. It was only now as I grabbed my car keys, my list, and my bag that I fished it out from the bottom to check my voicemail. My jaw fell open at the screen. Eight missed calls. Zero messages. That was really odd. I felt a little smile of satisfaction spread as I became more certain that I had the upper hand this evening. Clearly he was desperate to get a hold of me, impatient and eager for my arrival. Maybe he was afraid that I wouldn't come. I laughed quietly at the thought. Eric, afraid?

It was there that I stopped in the threshold with my key partially turned in the lock. Eric wasn't the impatient, fearful type. The thought settled uneasily into the pit of my stomach. I checked my phone again with the strange sinking feeling that something must be wrong. No new calls, but no new messages either. Why call eight times and leave no messages? My confident air frittered away into a low level nervousness as I walked to my car. I tried assuring myself that everything was fine, Eric was just being insanely impatient, and when I got to Fangtasia he'd be looking as bored and nonchalant as ever. He'd probably even deny calling. I shook my head at the idea and slid behind the wheel. It was an agonizingly long and silent ride.

The parking lot of the bar was sparse, but that was not unusual for a Wednesday night. My nerves were quieted just a little by the expectedly empty scene, and as surprised as I was by the number of calls at least it appeared that I could chalk it all up to impatience or boredom. I wiped my sweaty palms on the legs of my jeans, grabbed my purse, and headed for the door. I was halfway there when I stopped abruptly and remembered my list, the list that I'd worked so hard on, had been left on the passenger seat of my car. I hoisted my bag high on my shoulder and with a sigh trudged back the way I'd come.

I bent over the console to make a quick retrieval and my purse swung down my arm, flipped, and dumped the entirety of its contents onto the stained mat. I groaned in annoyance and cursed, climbing all the way in before slamming the door shut so I could collect my things in relative warmth. My wallet lay splayed open amidst the rubble of coins, gum wrappers, and receipts that made up the majority of items in my bag. My cell phone was lying neatly next to it, displaying a single yet significant icon. I had a voicemail message. Clumsily I scooped it up, mashing buttons rather hurriedly as I found myself suddenly desperate to know what it said. There was a long gap of static and right as I was about to erase the message, Eric's voice came on.

"Amelia, some important business has come up and I won't be able to meet with you tonight." His tone was even, but there was something very rushed to the way he formed his words. "Call back when you can to reschedule." Click. My brow furrowed. Huh, weird.

I pulled the phone away to check the time of the message and it coincided with the first call. I rolled my eyes. I _hated_ my provider sometimes. Not entirely surprising, another message popped up.

"Amelia, I hope you get this message before you arrive at the bar. If you happen to be in the car turn around and head home. I won't be able to get away from my responsibilities tonight." Click.

I looked up, scanning the exterior of the building feeling a little silly for avoiding his phone calls. I guess I should just head home. Something about that didn't feel right, though. I puzzled over it, flipping my phone in my hand. I gave a startled jump as it buzzed in my palm. Another message.

"I canceled that order weeks ago. Don't deliver it. If you do, I'm not paying for it." Click.

Okay, now I was incredibly confused and starting to get a little freaked out. The last message sounded like he could have dialed a wrong number, but I knew if it wasn't intended for me he would have hung up. There was no mistaking my bubbly, babbling voicemail greeting. I broke out in a light sweat, worried for what might really be going on. Messages 4, 5, and 6 all appeared at the same time but I never got to hear them. My phone flew out of my hand as the sound of shattering glass came up loudly behind me, and instinct drove me to cover my head and face. I whipped around after the glass had stopped flying to see that a fist had punched through the driver's side window. I screamed in surprise as a hand grabbed roughly at my collar but slipped, allowing me time to scramble over the seat and out the passenger door. I'd heard no thoughts and was fairly certain it wasn't a vampire attack so I ran as hard and as fast as I could to Fangtasia's rear door. I skirted the building at breakneck speed, making a flying leap for the steps not daring to look behind me. The door burst inward suddenly and I stumbled but managed to bolt it behind me.

I wanted to scream for Eric or Pam but my gut locked my voice down tight. Also, I hadn't stopped gasping for breath since my mad dash into the building. I stumbled through the dimly lit hallway, passing a door with a bolt four times the size of the one on the back door, and far fancier. It gleamed like chrome or stainless steel. My heart thudded. Or silver. Chains of the same substance criss-crossed the lock and knob and jangled loudly as I tested them. My voice came out in a rushed and frightened whisper.

"Eric? Pam?" The silence that followed my voice was deafening. I swallowed and tried again. "I was in the parking lot when I got the messages. Well, three of them. Then I was attacked. I didn't see who, I just ran inside." I listened as hard as I could. "Hello?" I bunched my shoulders up then pressed my ear to the cold metal of the door. It made me shiver and realize if I wanted to know what was on the other side I'd have to open the door.

I pressed my fingertips to the metal and caught the faintest flash of images. Three vampires I'd never seen before hauling the bartender away chained in silver and Pam making a dash for the front door. Eric had given the order for her to flee and slowly I realized it was his memory I was tuned into. He was hoping that Pam was safe. He had to be nearby! A fire rushed through me and I began fervently working at undoing the chains as quickly and quietly as I could. The hefty silver deadbolt felt stuck and gave me a significant amount of trouble before I was able to wiggle and shift it quietly. When all was done I waited, listening to see if I'd been heard. I took a deep breath, pulled the door open and slipped inside into inky blackness. I left the door open just a sliver so the dim hall light gave me at least something to go by. I heard the low threatening rumble of a snarl and strained to see as my vision slowly adjusted. My heart hammered until I could finally, but barely, make out the slender pale shape of a man chained in the center of the room. He was naked. I felt all my senses reaching out for as much information as was possible for me to glean in the darkness. By now I could see that the silver chains bound his torso just below the shoulders and wound all the way up to his wrists and were looped around a large thick pipe over his head. The position looked cruel and uncomfortable, leaving his body to dangle so that only his toes could touch the floor. Never mind that the silver chains were burning and eating away at his bare skin.

"Eric!" I wondered at how I could sound so afraid and not be the one held captive. I was taking careful steps forward, worried that he might mistake me for his captors and lash out. Plus it was so dark I couldn't see what was on the floor in front of me. "Eric, it's me. I'm gonna get you out."

As I inched closer that familiar wall of mental coolness erected itself against me and I felt a huge surge of relief and fumbled my way more quickly to him. "It's ok, it's ok." I whispered incessantly, barely cognizant of my own words. If he had energy enough to block me out of his head, perhaps all he needed was for me to untie his bonds. My hands touched lightly at the chains and I realized I wouldn't be able to reach anything above his biceps without a ladder of some sort. Frustrated, I spun around wishing I had a flashlight. I didn't want to risk turning on the light or opening the door any farther.

"I need something to stand on. Can you see anything?" I knew he could see, I was just hoping he was coherent enough to give me an answer. He hadn't managed anything yet that was more than a low groan.

"Left corner..." He panted, his voice sounding ragged and tired.

My heart leapt and I wasted no time, sprinting straight for the corner I splayed my hands out and groped for whatever I could find. A large crate. Perfect! I dragged it over and climbed up, wobbling unsteadily. My hands trembled with the rush of adrenaline as I worked to loosen the knots of chains. As I worked further down, they felt like they had been glued to his skin. As I pulled, bracing myself against his moans, I knew the links had melted into his flesh. It wasn't the wet pulling sounds that turned my stomach as much as Eric's soft groans of pain, and knowing that I was the cause of them. I whispered apologies and assurances as I worked, assuring him that it wasn't that bad and I was almost done. I didn't know what else to say. It was bad. It was horrible, but I thought keeping my horror and revulsion down would help him cope with the pain. Finally, after what seemed like an endless struggle I felt his body tug hard then slip the chains completely. When I stepped down off the crate, sweaty and tired, he was lying crumpled on the floor. Despite the pitiful sight I felt a huge rush of relief to see him free of the chains. I waited in the silence, hoping he would rise, regain control, and start filling me in on what had happened and the plan to escape, but nothing came. Three distinct and very agitated vampire minds filtered through the background noise of my brain and sent a jolt of panic through me. I blocked them out so I could focus on the task at hand. Still high on adrenaline I stooped, groping at Eric's body for an arm, a leg, anything to yank on to get him moving. In any other scenario his level of nudity would have sent my mind reeling, but while being faced with much larger problems it only served to make him more human and vulnerable. As politely as I could manage I found his forearm and gave it a tug.

"Eric." I whispered. "Eric, listen. I know you're tired, but we've got to get moving. There are other vampires in the building. Get up, please." I was begging. "Get up, get up, get up!"

I may as well have been saying giddy-up to a lame horse. He was huge and heavy and he wasn't moving. I gripped his arm with both hands and pulled with the weight of my body, straining. I managed to get him sitting up.

"Let's go, please!"

I was on the verge of panicking. Whoever had attacked me in the car knew I was in the building. It would only be a matter of time before they collaborated with whatever forces had imprisoned Eric here and found us both. I struggled again with the weight of him, trying to drag him towards the door.

"I can't carry you out, as much as I wish I could. You have to help me." By now I was panting, and my ears rang in the silence of waiting for him to respond. I began hearing the loud thump of doors signaling movement inside the building. "Eric," I whimpered as I lowered myself to my knees, huddling as close to him as possible trying to help support him if what he needed was help to stand. Still he did not budge. Despite having been chained with silver the surface of his skin already felt even and smooth, but he was inconceivably cold. I felt desperately pressed for time and my mind began racing. I've been told that cold doesn't effect vampires or that they may not even feel it, but I'd seen it proven time and again they had very strong reactions to warmth. Light bulbs, dryers, heating vents, fires, and especially warm human bodies evoked very obvious responses, often transfixing them for a period to the object emitting heat, like moths drawn to a flame. Without hesitation I dropped my rear end to the floor, scooted up behind him so that my legs rested on either side of his, wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him to my chest hoping that by some miracle my body heat would warm him up and get him moving.

"Come on, get up." I pleaded, squeezing him.

I had no idea what was so wrong with him that he couldn't move. I'd never seen Eric like this, and I couldn't fathom what had brought him to this state. I shut my eyes and rest my cheek against his back hoping for a miracle. Finally, he stirred, lifting his hands to hold my arms in place and inhaled sharply as if the effort caused him immense pain. Flooded with relief I squeezed him again urgently.

"Can you move now? Let's go!" I began to shift so that I could stand but his icy hands closed slowly around one of my wrists, preventing me from getting up. "What's wrong?" I asked instinctively. "We can't waste any more time, we need to go." I tugged at his hold on my arm but it did not relinquish. By now I could hear voices shouting and I went cold

"I need blood..." Came his hoarse reply. "I've lost too much."

I grit my teeth and stiffened. That first night of two months ago came flooding back to replay the most painful and terrifying moments of my adult life. What happened next felt like an eternity of internal debating even though it took place in the span of a few seconds. I thought about arguing with him and insisting on finding some other way to help us both escape. He could call Pam and I'd start breaking apart the wooden crate and gathering stakes. Who was I kidding? It was a ridiculous notion because I'd be nothing but cannon fodder. There's no way I could best their speed or hope to surprise them in the dark, they'd see me immediately. Eric could barely even move. He was right to ask for blood. The moment he'd said it, I knew. I knew it was our only chance. There was absolutely no way I could fight them or move Eric to safety fast enough. I doubted I could even move him five inches before whoever was out there found us. But if he fed, even just enough to regain conscious control, Eric would be able to break through the walls of the building if he wanted to. The scenario of our escape played through my head brightly, overpowering any fear or hesitation. It would work. It had to. Acquiescing, I relaxed into his back and gave in to the weak pulling of his hands that brought me around to face him, and nestled into the cradle his arms formed. I tried to meet his gaze but all I could make out was the dim outline of his face in the darkness. I managed a hopeful little smile then lay my head to one side. He gathered me up, bringing me closer to his mouth and I worried then, wondering how much he needed to take and what state I would find myself in once it was over. I could feel his slow breath against my skin.

"Promise I'll live?" I whispered, not sure he heard me over the sound of his hungry groan.

He moved so fast I was catapulted through a range of sensations I barely had time to register. The jolt of his bite was a swift shock that shifted my focus quickly to the iciness of his skin against mine. The initial discomfort of his fangs brought back an old ache of panic before it evaporated abruptly into a warm rush of bliss. Shocked by the strangeness of it I gasped loudly, unable to help myself, and writhed in his tight grasp which only served to accelerate the pleasurable sensation. I realize how absurd this may sound, but it felt like he was making love to my neck. This was so entirely different from when I had first experienced the taking of my blood. I was distracted by the sound of a whimper until I realized it was my own. So this was what it felt like to be a willing donor. An exquisite shudder rippled through me and I nearly lost all of myself in the sensation. At that, my perception of people that allowed vampires to drink from them changed forever. This was way more than just the giving up of a part of yourself in the hopes for attention from a supernatural being of formidable power and beauty. It was an incredible rush. It was... well, it felt like a new form of sex. From my perspective it was excruciatingly intimate. It was a give and take so much unlike anything I'd ever felt it's difficult to describe, but I felt the experience radiate throughout my entire being and echo deeply in the chambers of my heart. I shuddered again. Then came a rushing sound of the sea in my ears and images of a far away land and its customs dancing through my head. Strangely though, they felt like home. Before I could get a clearer grasp on them, it all was washed away by a tide of drowsiness that swept me under even as I heard the shouting of voices and the rush of footsteps. I tried to stir and cry out that we needed to escape, but I couldn't move. It was then that I knew the vampires had seen the unlocked door, they knew we were both in there, and by the time I blacked out they were already there.


	5. Break Me

Chapter 5

I awoke suddenly in the company of tall, beautiful trees. I was in a forest of pines lying on my back on the cold, hard ground staring up at the night sky. The needles on each tree looked black in the dim moonlight, as if thousands of spiny sea urchins had sprouted from the branches and now wiggled gently against a sea of stars. I took a deep breath and felt the dull ache in my ribs from where I had been lying on a large root. I tested my strength by rolling over onto my side. With some effort and a groan I sat up, feeling cold and shaky as one of my temples throbbed painfully. When the discomfort subsided enough for me to open my eyes again the ground tilted dangerously and I considered lying back down. I was incredibly dizzy and my heartbeat felt rapid- fairly common symptoms of blood loss. I tried to regain a full grip on reality but I was also fighting mild delirium and not at all up to normal brain function. Christ, Eric had taken a lot. My skin felt cool all over and I knew it wasn't from the weather, though I'm sure it didn't help. After a long minute I looked up and squinted into the darkness and wondered where the hell I was. My limbs felt weak, so I put my back against the nearest tree and tried to work out the likeliest possibilities of what had happened. Slowly and with great difficulty I attempted to rebuild what had led me here. Obviously I'd escaped or I wouldn't be sitting here, but where was Eric? As hard as I tried the only thing I could remember was blacking out in that dark storeroom, clutched tightly in his arms. The sweet bliss of his feeding washed over me in a rush and I shuddered involuntarily. Somehow I had come to be lying in the center of a large clearing surrounded by enormous pines with densely packed brush at the edges. The night air was still and absent the ambient noise of traffic and city life. It was eerie, but mostly because I felt so completely alone. Shivering against the cold I wondered if I should start walking to keep warm, which was when I realized one of my shoes had gone missing. The oddity of it made me smile until I noticed I only had partial feeling in my toes.

Feeling dazed but oddly peaceful I kept myself good company for fifteen minutes as I worked feeling back into my foot. It wasn't too long after I had all my piggies easily wiggling that I heard a quick compression and crackle of the forest floor somewhere off to my right. A panic riot erupted in my stomach. I strained, listening for additional movement and got caught up in a huge swell of relief when I found Eric's familiar mental signature. I released a shaky breath, trying to stabilize my rapid heartbeat. Now that I knew he was there I felt safer and realized I had been most anxious to know where he was. When I heard his footsteps again I turned to face the direction of his approach and waited. Something about my regard for him felt so different now and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. When he stepped out of the cluster of trees I exhaled a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding and tried to stand up to greet him despite the weakness in my legs. Immediately my attention flew to the wild, dark smears of dried liquid marring his beautiful upper body. It was a frightful sight.

"My god... Are you ok?" My eyes widened as I gestured to the copious amounts of blood on him. "Please tell me that's not yours."

It looked like a war had broken out on his torso and used it as the battleground. The sticky fluid coated his mouth, jaw, and neck and had dried in broken patterns that streamed all the way down to the waistband of his pants. He had become the picture of war and violence. I was shocked into slack-jawed silence and simply stared. His stride was far too casual for how gory he looked. He stopped in front of me just within arm's reach.

"It's not." He said dismissively, handing me a small bottle of water. "We have a little time so keep resting." Fishing a protein bar out of his pocket he tossed it in my lap. Had he stolen it? I couldn't imagine him wandering into a gas station or grocery store and making a purchase looking like that.

"But Eric," I stopped for a moment, perturbed. "What happened?" I couldn't shift my gaze and frowned a little desperately. "How did we escape?" And more importantly whose blood was he wearing?

"I managed to find some pants." He said rather lightly and adjusted the waistband, leaving the conversation at that. He stalked off towards the edge of trees and stood watch before beginning a slow walk of its border. He was humming softly.

It was more difficult than I anticipated to tear my eyes away from his body, so I was thankful that I could use eating as a distraction. My hands trembled as I rolled the bottle between them and eventually dropped it in favor of tearing into the protein bar. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I'd swallowed the first bite. Mentally I began retracing my steps through the evening starting at Fangtasia. I had pulled up in my car, doubled back for the list I'd forgotten, then been attacked after hearing just a few of Eric's messages. The memories of what had occurred after that came back in a flood along with a rush of adrenaline. The thrill of freeing Eric and being his hero sent a flush of excitement through me that set my heart to racing again. That's right Amelia Stratton, you saved a vampire. I felt like yipping or cheering or giving myself a high-five. A big old bossy vampire had needed me. _Me_. I swallowed the last bit of protein bar, savoring the swell of pride. Then my mind drifted to the moments leading up to our escape, and I was revisited by feelings of warmth, bliss, and raw sexual energy. I became very flushed and sweaty. My cheeks and face burned hotly, embarrassed by the low throb of excitement in my pelvis. I shifted uncomfortably, not knowing quite what to do with myself. Now in his presence it felt like all my switches had been turned on simultaneously and I couldn't figure out how to deal with the energy surge. I felt manic. Nervously I glanced over at Eric, hoping he hadn't noticed my agitation. His attention was still directed elsewhere which gave me time to come to grips with how his presence was affecting me. Slowly I could feel something in me being altered. I lowered my head and directed my focus to opening the bottle of water. After swallowing nearly half of it without stopping I gasped for air then sat to enjoy drinking the rest at a much easier pace.

"Thank you." I sighed heavily, feeling better with each passing moment as the food and hydration chased away the pounding in my skull. Eric nodded and I looked around for a place to set the empty bottle down. "Where are we?"

"Kisatchie, but not for much longer." He cast a glance my way then returned his attention to the woods. "We're being tracked."

"Tracked?" I repeated dumbly, though I was more astonished at being in the middle of a national forest two hours driving time from the heart of Shreveport. My mind reeled at how little time had passed. How had we gotten here so quickly? I eyed Eric warily, my brain bouncing around inside my skull. After a few moments the imminent danger of being actively pursued sunk in and I pushed myself off the ground and up to my feet. I stepped clumsily over fallen branches and through thick brush towards Eric and stopped at his side. I looked up at him wondering if his skin felt any warmer to the touch than it had before...

"It's nice to see I didn't kill you." He swept his gaze over me, assessing my disheveled appearance.

"Is it?" I made a production of my best surprised look, eager to coax some assurance from him that he actually held some value for my life. My expression fell rather quickly though as I watched his face darken and his mouth set in a hard line.

"I almost didn't stop." The way he said it felt like a warning. The space between us began rapidly filling up with an air of malcontent.

"But you did, and here I am. So," I rubbed my hands together and gave a shrug, not wishing to dwell on the thought of him feeding on me for longer than I had to. Though I did get hung up on the way he chose to articulate that statement. _I almost didn't stop_. Not couldn't, but didn't. He hadn't wanted to. I feared to think what may have happened had the circumstances been different. The intense look he gave me told me I was right to do so. Of course it would be just my luck to keep stumbling into new and unique ways to be terrified of him. I was updating my mental checklist of what circumstances to avoid being in with Eric so frequently it was getting to be a bit ridiculous. I avoided eye contact and busied myself with something other than thoughts of him; I brushed myself off, freeing bits of leaves and pine needles from my coat and jeans. I wondered how long I'd been lying in the dirt and was grateful that it was too cold to need to seriously worry about ticks. I made a mental note to check myself over later anyway, but it was anyone's guess when I'd next see a proper washroom or a large mirror. When I finally looked back up he was still staring at me.

"What?" I asked becoming more and more wary of him.

"I'm having a hard time putting my finger on something, as you so often say." His voice was low and thoughtful. The largeness of his eyes caught me by surprise and he leaned close, searching for something in my gaze, peering hard into the depths of my pupils. I was just starting to feel like running away when he broke eye contact and looked, for the first time that I could recall, a little lost. He straightened up and folded his arms over his chest, staring off into the distance deep in thought.

I didn't know what on earth was going on with him but it left me feeling very unsettled. The whole evening so far had been surreal and to say the least, disturbing. I was tired, scared, and needed the comfort of familiarity. If I was going to be stuck on the run with him, this behavior just wasn't going to cut it. What I wanted was the confident, high-handed, unflappable vampire I had been employed by and had come to resent the way one does a taskmaster. To readjust the focus of things I nudged his arm with my elbow and decided to try and take the lead, figuring his instinct to be in control would kick in.

"Since we're being tracked we should start walking."

There was a long pause before he shook his head emphatically. "The woods are thick and difficult to navigate by foot. Plus it would leave an obvious trail to follow. No." His eyes glittered now as he gazed down at me. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you're also missing a shoe."

"M-hm, I had." I wiggled my toes and rubbed them against my leg for warmth. After dropping my foot back to the ground I spun in a circle, looking around. "Then how do we get out of here, boss?" I quirked my brow at him and folded my arms over my chest.

He grew a wide smile and with vampire speed scooped me up without warning. I gave a surprised yelp and threw my arms around his neck, clinging on tightly.

He dipped his head and whispered in my ear. "We fly."

His eyes flashed at me and the next thing I felt was a great rush of air and the ground falling away as gravity pulled at my stomach. I clutched at his shoulders and buried my face against his chest and neck, sheltering my face from the cold night air that whipped about my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to take in the pure sensation of it through my surprise. He could fly! My heart pounded with excitement as all my senses were filled up and overwhelmed. I wasn't brave enough to look at the world passing beneath us so I kept my head tucked into Eric's body, involuntarily pulling in large lungfuls of his scent. He smelled like copper and the earthy musk of fragrant wood. It was pleasant, but the strong tang of blood hung in my nostrils and overpowered Eric's cologne. I tolerated the visceral smell until I thought I'd make myself sick and lifted my head for a reprieve and to brave a look around.

My exclamation was immediately lost to the wind, which is alright since it didn't quite do the moment justice. The ground zipped by below us, moving too fast for me to see but it wasn't the land I felt myself transfixed by. It was the sky. There was a multitude of cascading, twinkling stars. My hair whipped harshly about my face, the only testament to our speed apart from the roaring wind as my gaze remained transfixed on the roof of the world. A few tears streamed from my eyes and it's anyone's guess whether it was because of the fast, chill wind or my dumbstruck awe. Eric squeezed me gently and tucked my head against his chest again, shielding my face with his hand as we accelerated. The roar of wind was deafening and I felt a dizzying rush. Just when I thought I might have to ask him to stop or I'd be sick, we landed.

The abruptness of the cessation of our rapid movement turned my legs and insides to jell-o. He set me down on my feet and I fought with all my strength and will to remain upright. My breathlessness was accompanied by a rush of warmth that persisted for a few minutes until my body adjusted to not being assaulted by a constant driving wind.

"Woo!" I gasped, laughing. I felt giddy, like a kid living out their wildest fantasy. He could fly. I had no idea he could fly!

I wiped away my remaining tears and took in our surroundings. We were standing not far from the crooked, rusted skeletons of street lamps that guarded dark and silent houses. The air felt just a little heavier here and carried the unique chill of high humidity.

"Where are we?" I don't know why I whispered it.

"Just outside New Orleans." He answered, surprisingly just as quietly.

He seemed to be listening intently for something. He jerked his head at me to indicate the direction in which we'd start walking and I followed, keeping pace two steps behind him. It was a fascinating view and I wasn't paying as much attention to where we were headed as I was to the particular way his back muscles flexed as he walked. This new perspective I had on Eric was distracting. Each moment I had to myself kept bringing the erotic memory of being clutched against his naked body as he fed from me back up to the surface. From the look on his face earlier I knew all I had to do was ask to experience that kind of gratification again. The thought that I may not come out of it alive was the major drawback there. I shivered, fighting the urges my body kept telling me to give in to that my brain knew would be really bad for me. I wondered if this was how addictions started… I shook my head vigorously to fling the thoughts from my brain. Dropping my gaze I watched the pavement instead, focusing my attention on making sure I avoided anything sharp or uncomfortable to my shoeless left foot. I twisted my mouth a bit at the loss. These shoes had been one of my favorite pairs. The longer we walked the more the pavement began to crack and crumble, giving way to more and more dirt and weeds until all traces of modern driving provisions disappeared. The grass grew high and wild at the edges, interspersed with the husks of plants that had clearly flourished during the warmer months.

"Here we are." Eric stopped.

If he hadn't verbalized that we'd reached our destination I would have walked right into him. I had been so absorbed in my own thoughts I barely noticed that we'd come upon an old, disused graveyard. The iron fence had at one point been an ornate decoration marking the boundaries of where the dead lay buried. As it stood now, a decrepit sentry burdened by the dead and tangled branches of a once prolific vine, there was barely enough of it left to indicate that there had ever been anything worthy of note on this land. I glanced around only able to make out a few worn tombstones and the rest was just darkness. I stepped closer to Eric.

"A graveyard?" I asked warily.

"It hasn't seen use in decades." He looked over his shoulder at me and grinned. "And as a vampire I can assure you there's no such thing as zombies."

"Oh good." I replied dryly.

I knew he was making a joke, but it didn't exactly tickle my funny bone. We were on the run and I was more worried that we might end up having to spend the night sleeping in a mausoleum or an old grave, or some other unsightly place one might not think to look for us. I'd heard direct from the source that some vampires did it to survive in areas less than accepting of the great revelation and often took with them their human companions whether they were willing to go or not. If there was any truth to that it sounded like a seriously abusive relationship, if you asked me. In any case, it made sense that we might have to opt for the less glamorous option while on the run, and the thought made me shudder. It didn't help that I hadn't the slightest clue as to who might be tracking us or why, aside from the fact that I had helped Eric escape their clutches. He also hadn't stopped to explain why they had wanted to get their clutches on him in the first place. I shifted nervously.

"Eric?" I had to force myself to stop biting my lip.

"Yes, Miss Amelia?"

"We aren't going to..." I was fumbling for the right words, not wanting to sound foolish, but the anticipation of not knowing was killing me. "Do we have to sleep in the graveyard tonight?"

At that he burst into laughter and heartily clapped me on the shoulder, then turned his attention back to the wide expanse of hidden tombstones to the left of the dirt road.

"No, my dear. No." His last few chuckles ended on a sigh that sounded like a satisfied 'mmm'. "I haven't slept in the ground in a long, long time." He looked me up and down, entertained.

"Well," I shuffled and felt embarrassed. "What are we doing here?"

"Waiting."

"For?"

He gave me a suave shrug like it wasn't anything I should worry about. Apparently I was on a need to know basis and right now I didn't need to know. So I watched him as he scanned the darkness, picking away at the edges of the wall around his brain, trying to find a crevice, any small flaw that I could worm my way in through. I sighed, exasperated. He'd built the perfect little fortress against me and there really wasn't anything I could do. I was annoyed and sat on the ground hard, defeated. I bit at my lip as my brain boiled and churned restlessly with questions. What wasn't he telling me? Unless he isolated me completely from here on out I'd find out eventually. All it would take is one single vampire with the knowledge and poof, the answers would be mine. Desperately I wished for Pam. Sure she didn't like me, but whatever Eric didn't tell me she involuntarily would. Of course I kept that to myself, letting Eric believe Pam had developed the same defense against me that he had. I flicked at pebbles and drew patterns in the dirt as my mind conjured one question after another. Who had the vampires been, where could Pam be, and how exactly had they overpowered Eric? Who was the man that had attacked me in my car? How long would it be until they would find us? I looked up and studied Eric's expression, trying my damnedest to figure out what was going on as he swept his gaze ceaselessly over the horizon. Just as I opened my mouth to unleash a torrent of inquiries he whipped his attention to me and the tension in his face made me falter.

"Don't think I can't feel you prodding at the edges of my mind." He removed a hand from the pocket of his stolen trousers and bent slightly so that his fingertips brushed lightly over the crown of my head. The gesture surprised me and raised goose bumps down the back of my neck. I took it as a warning. "I don't have any answers for you." The tone of his voice was somber. "Not yet." He sighed, which to make the gesture at all for a vampire was a significant thing. "It's a messy tangle of bureaucracy. Just wait, I'll let you know all I can tomorrow." A faint smile tilted up the outer corners of his mouth. There was disharmony to his expression in the way the muscles of his jaw worked furiously and his eyes seemed determined to burn holes through my head. "What you did for me... I won't forget."

I shivered, unable to forget as well. Of course I also wasn't certain whether he meant the rescue, the feeding, or both. After another light touch his hand returned to his pocket and I was left speechless. He took my silence as consent to wait until tomorrow and after one last twitch in his jaw he returned full attention to his vigil. I wish I could've just kept quiet, but my brain wouldn't let me.

"Do you mind if we just talk then?" I asked abruptly.

"If it'll help you pass the time." He didn't sound like he meant it, but I appreciated the lip service nonetheless.

I groped around in my brain for anything to talk about, anything that wasn't related to what was happening. Naturally, since I was trying so hard not to think of those topics, they were all I could think of. After a long painful moment, inspiration finally struck.

"I always thought my first trip to New Orleans would be for Mardi Gras."

"We're actually much farther south of the city than you think, in a section of bayous that used to..." He trailed off, deciding to choose his words more carefully. "It's safe here. There's a place we can stay until tomorrow."

It was only a small assurance, but it helped take the edge off of waiting a bit. I relaxed a little more and huddled down into my coat, grasping for another topic. I wiggled to generate some warmth.

"And if you want to experience Mardi Gras," He added, "Find some cheap beads, drink until you throw up, piss in a small hallway, then lie down there." He turned his head thoughtfully, as if checking for details he might have missed, then nodded. "That's Mardi Gras."

"That sounds horrible." I laughed.

"I wasn't trying to be funny."

"Well," I couldn't help myself and smiled up at him. "It was."

We passed the next hour talking with relative ease. And when I say we talked, I mean that I talked and Eric listened, responding only with a grunt or a laugh now and then. Mostly though, I babbled. I tried to keep the subject within the realm of things he'd find engaging, like his business and the vampires I'd listened in on at the bar and how often they were either very predictable in their thought patterns or so erratic that one thought seemingly had absolutely no connection to another. Those, as my brief experiences had proven, were often the most dangerous ones. I tried coming up with a label for them, something I could use in regular conversation without anyone growing suspicious, but failed. Without talk of Fangtasia the conversation ran out quickly and I could only sit for so long and twiddle my thumbs before my patience broke.

"Come on, Eric," I begged, unable to control myself any longer. "What are we waiting for?"

He turned to face me slowly. "Pam."

There was an immense depth to his inflection that sent a chill through me. I couldn't tell you what exactly Eric felt for Pam, but the intensity of it was obvious. I thought the two months I'd spent witnessing Pam and Eric interact with each other had shown me all I needed to know about their relationship. His tone and expression made it very clear that the information I'd gathered during that time was only the tiniest of pieces to the puzzle that was their true connection. My gut told me it was something I could never hope to understand and it was humbling. As I watched the medley of emotions cross his commonly stoic and handsome countenance, I felt a grievous neediness and was reminded of the echoes belonging to a monster that has lurked within me since childhood. I swallowed, tasting the familiar tang of loneliness. As if in need of the distraction, my mind quickly flashed to the imagery I had picked up from Eric that had led me to the discovery of his captivity. Pam could easily still be alive and on the run just like us. From what I remembered she had appeared unharmed so that alone was cause for some optimism.

"I hope she's ok," I offered softly.

"She's alive." He nodded with certainty.

The statement was so matter of fact I wondered if their vampire tie allowed him to know or if he was just too attached to her that the idea of her being dead was an impossibility. Maybe I was just picking up on Eric's worry, projecting my own loneliness onto the situation, but the mood had plummeted. I felt heavier and somehow incomplete. The larger feeling that resonated, surprisingly, was envy. I wanted what Pam had. Not Eric specifically, but to have someone with which to share the unique pain that came from the threat of permanent separation. I was on the threshold of being overwhelmed by it so I stood and began walking back the way we had come, toward the deserted houses. I needed to be by myself and knew even if I managed to put a few miles between us, Eric would still be able to hear me yelling if (knock on wood) I ran into trouble.

"Don't go far." He called after me, not sounding severely concerned. His tone stung more than I wanted to admit and I forced myself to wait until I was sure I was out of his line of sight before I wiped away the few tears I hadn't been able to suppress. In my right mind I would have felt comforted that the area was safe enough to roam in, or seen it as a vote of confidence in my ability to take care of myself. Sadly, though, nothing about this state of mind felt positive.

I sucked in a huge lungful of the cold night air as I continued to walk, my eyes burning from the heat of unshed tears. I didn't fully understand the sudden rush of emotion but it felt good to let it out. Trying to shake it off wasn't as easy as I thought and I soon found myself breaking into a run. Mercifully, my head emptied as I ran. No more questions, no more loneliness, just speed and trying to keep my legs pumping as hard and fast as I could. The heaviness of my winter coat made it difficult work and sooner than I anticipated I came to a halt, bare foot aching as I panted heavily. The cold air stung my parched throat and for several long painful moments all I could manage was a gasp between every dry swallow. As I felt the over-stimulation of the evening slowly draining away I sat down, now dreading the walk back because I was tired, Eric was still gorgeous and topless, and the sole of my foot throbbed terribly. I have to admit I was tempted to call for him and have him carry me back.

"What you runnin' from?" Came a heavily accented voice, very suddenly, from behind me.

I was too startled to yelp and the surprise shot through me in a jolt. I scrambled to my feet before I turned around and began backing away from the source of the sound. If I had anything snarky to say about possessing the gall to sneak up behind someone in the middle of the night I lost it completely when my eyes adjusted to what I was seeing. I'm ashamed to admit my mouth fell open. A strange man stood among the tall grass and weeds very close to where I had just been sitting. I hadn't heard the slightest rustle or hint of his approach. He looked, quite literally, like a ghost.

"N-nothing," I stammered. "I was just...exercising."

"Don't you be mindin' my appearance none. I see the way you lookin' at me. No pretendin'." His accent transformed his speech into something that was incredibly wonderful to listen to but difficult to understand. "Like they all that come to look at me an' laugh." I was slow on the uptake but found I could keep up with the general meaning. Though it took me a moment to realize he was not at all pleased. "That what you come for? Hah?" He pointed a long bony finger at me.

"No, no... You startled me, that's all." Which was true. "I thought I was alone."

"Then you don't find me grotesque?" There was a rapid, irregular movement to his eyes. They shook back and forth so quickly it was hard to determine at any given point what he was actually looking at. He stepped out of the tall grass and onto the road, encroaching on the distance between us and leaned forward as he spoke. "Am I not terrible to look upon?" His clothes were tattered, stained, and what remained was held together by bits of thin rope. I can only assume they had once been white, but were now a muddled mix of hues ranging from rusty brown to sickly yellow ochre. I thought I could smell the faint hint of spoiled meat.

My voice stuck in my throat. I wanted to say no, but some visceral reaction prevented me. Now that my shock had worn off I could read his mental signature and shook my head rapidly to pacify his agitation. He was a vampire and by the looks of it slightly unhinged. He settled back into a more natural posture and gazed at me, taking me in just as thoroughly as I was him. He looked like something out of a horror movie. He was as white as bleached bone with an epidermis as translucent as rice paper. You'd think that would mean he'd be extremely yellow or pink, colored by either the blood he drank or the protective layer of fat just beneath the skin's surface. You'd think that, but it wasn't the case. It appeared that he had been born an albino and death had only compounded upon the condition in a very strange way. I could easily trace the tangled network of veins that raced up his arms from large thick hands and disappeared under the sleeves of what was left of his shirt. It looked like a network of dark thin shadows trapped within a human shaped shell. He had long almond shaped eyes rimmed with an abundance of lashes so white they looked like they had been spun from spider's silk. The bridge of his nose was set low and sloped gracefully downward to wide nostrils and a full, plump set of ashen lips that took on the color of dried blood where they met at the center. It made me think he'd eaten not too long ago. His eyes were the only thing with any true color. They were the pink of blood after being diluted by water, and the saturation changed as it reached the outer rings of his irises and although they weren't black his pupils were dark. Possessed of a large commanding jaw, his features were quite intimidating. In a strange way, he was tragically beautiful in his uniqueness. If I hadn't found him so startling, I would have felt inclined to let him know.

He gave a harsh, sudden laugh and it brought me back to myself. I began to catch imagery from him; dances performed around blazing bonfires, large paintings of ancient spiritual symbols and thought I could smell the herbs used in strong ritual magic. I heard chorus after chorus of chanting; strange, unfamiliar, and archaic. I was bewildered. The thoughts themselves were half-formed and very erratic which automatically put me on alert. He raised a finger at me and my shoulders jumped a little at the sound of the charms on his bracelet rattling.

"You scared, girl? What brings you to my bayou?" He drawled.

"Your bayou? I thought this area was deserted." I backed up a step.

"Everyone know this is Xosu's land." He squinted his eyes, but that didn't help slow the speed of their movement. "No one comes without reason."

"I'm sorry, but I didn't know." I desperately searched for a lie believable enough to excuse my missing shoe, my desperate run, and my cheeks still wet with tears. I was silently raging at Eric, furious that things apparently weren't as safe as he had assured. I vowed not to leave his side once I got back to it. _If_ I got back to it.

Xosu scented the air around him much like I'd seen animals do on the Discovery channel then pointed his unsteady gaze back at me. "Who do you belong to?"

"I'm sorry?" His question caught me off guard and to be honest was a little offensive. Just because I was a woman didn't automatically mean I was someone's property.

"I can smell a vampire on you. All over you." He gave the air another sniff. "And others…" His eyes began to narrow in suspicion. "You smell like their blood."

I didn't like where this was going at all. I couldn't just come out and say that I didn't belong to Eric since that would make me fair game should he decide he was hungry. His tone was accusing and his fangs had fully extended. The cavern of his mouth was dark and red but I wasn't willing to bet my life that he'd already eaten.

"I haven't killed any if that's what you're thinking." And I knew for a fact that it was.

"Of course not," He nodded in mock agreement. "You just happened to be out for a run," He nodded his head at my feet. "While missing a shoe."

"Why I'm out here is really none of your business." How could I explain what had happened without throwing away all the effort that had already been made towards our escape? I didn't know whose side he might be on but eye for an eye was a popular method of justice among vampires. "The only major offense is being on your property and that I can resolve easily." I risked turning my back to him and started walking, determined to get back to Eric even if I had to run screaming the entire way. Xosu was at my side in an instant and grabbed hold of my wrist roughly. Due to my heightened fear and the anger coming off him in waves I couldn't stop the immediate transfer of information that came through the direct contact. Luckily it gave me choice pieces of information that I could use to my advantage.

"Let go of me Xosu or I'll end your immortality right now." I hissed, my tone vehement as I eyed his charm bracelet meaningfully. To any vampire, considering the source and my lack of any sort of weapon, my threat would have been the feeblest one imaginable. The only reason my bluff had any substantial effect was because this vampire firmly believed that his bracelet, or gris-gris, was the key to his eternal life. It was a sacred object in Voodoo, precious only to the individual that wore it. Blood sacrifices were made to it each night upon his rising using a mixture of his own and that of some poor animal. Given the proximity of his body I didn't have to be a telepath; he stunk so badly with the evidence of it. His eyes widened and he didn't so much let go of my wrist as his grip slackened out of surprise. It was vital now that I played this move to completion without panicking- I had him right where I needed him. He was incredibly wary of me. I bolstered my courage and straightened my spine, staring him down. He recoiled slightly, clutching his charm bracelet protectively with his free hand and chattered rapidly in his foreign tongue.

"There is no protection you can speak to save yourself from me, monster child." I narrowed my eyes, fighting to steady the tremble in my voice. "Dan Toxosu."

At that his hand slid limply from my wrist and he backed away from me with slow careful steps, as if I were a bomb on a motion sensitive trigger. It was as much a relief as it became a new obstacle for me since I couldn't get any new information from him without the physical contact, but I believed I had played my cards well enough to get me back safely to Eric. He stood at a careful distance and stared at me, his shaky eyes wide and mouth parted just enough to let his unsteady breath through.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting back to my benefactor." I nodded at him curtly.

"I must meet him." He called after me as I began my walk back up the road.

"I can't guarantee he'll talk with you but as long as you keep your hands off me I don't care what you do." I shouted it to him over my shoulder. I hadn't needed to, but it was the only way I could think to alert Eric that someone else was coming without arousing suspicion. I stepped up my pace ignoring the ache in my foot and just when I thought I'd have to slow down or stop to catch my breath the cemetery was just suddenly there on my left and the spot Eric had been standing in was empty. In a situation like this, what does one do when they find their vampire employer missing from where they left them? I have no idea either so, I opted to yell.

"Sir! Someone here to speak with you." I tilted my head back so my voice carried as far as possible then I held my breath and waited.

Like a genie from a magic lamp Eric seemed to just appear at my side and I jumped but cast him a look of relief so immense it was as if he were water appearing to me in the desert. He looked down at my face and swept his gaze over my neck then past my shoulder to where Xosu was waiting some distance behind me. Immediately he adopted a cordial smile and tilted his head to one side, stepping past me.

"Xosu," He greeted the albino voodoo priest with some enthusiasm. "I wasn't expecting you until much closer to dawn."

Expecting him? He'd known we were on another vampire's land? That information lit a fire under my ass so hot I clenched my jaw and whipped around, ready to give Eric a tongue lashing so severe it would make his ears bleed. How could he have let me wander off?

"That'll be all, Amelia." He shot me a meaningful look over his shoulder before I could begin my tirade and darted his eyes down the road, indicating I wait there.

_Don't go too far._ I gave him the most venomous look I could muster. That had been his warning. I knew it was ill advised to start screaming at him in front of another vampire but I positively burned with the desire to. Minutes earlier I had been desperate for him to come to my rescue and now that I had the security of his presence I was back to that familiar feeling of resentment. It was my own fault for assuming I had earned the right to be kept abreast of his plans by saving his life.

"Yes, sir." I answered him through clenched teeth and stalked off until I was out of earshot.

I sat glumly for what felt like a long while. Despite my aggravation with Eric I was once again grateful for time to myself. My encounter with Xosu had pumped me full of so much adrenaline I could barely stop shaking. I practiced breathing slowly, collecting myself and my thoughts. Another surprising aspect to his meeting with Xosu was that he hadn't wanted me there to listen to his thoughts. I made a mental note to ask him about that later. The night was so quiet around me I couldn't help remarking at the tranquil beauty of it. It felt like a sanctuary far removed from city life. My energy crashed and left me feeling sluggish and sleepy. I pulled up my knees so I could rest my head on my arms.

"You were runnin' from him." Came Xosu's voice, startling me again. I lifted my head with a jerk and squinted up at him suspiciously.

"Not from him, just," I faltered, not sure how to answer. "It's complicated."

He merely grunted and mumbled, turning to walk at a shuffling pace down the road. Eric strolled up soon after, hands casually slung in his pockets.

"Done with your vampire chat?" I sounded as irritable as I felt.

"I told you not to go too far." He shrugged, picking up on my tone and offeree me a hand up.

"You also said it was safe." I didn't take it.

"You don't look hurt."

I opened my mouth and shut it again just as quickly. He had a point and I was too tired to argue. I shook my head and stood. So much had happened tonight, and nearly all of it had gone completely wrong. Even though Eric's troubles had only just begun I wondered how long this drama and difficulty would play out. As I often do when I'm exhausted and stressed, I missed home. My thoughts flashed to my purse and all my personal items that I had left strewn on the floor of my car. My apartment keys, my wallet, my phone… damn it. I was gripped by a horrible sinking feeling and knew I couldn't go home until all this mess was resolved since someone would likely be waiting for me. I rubbed my temples, regretting my impulsive stupidity. I wondered if the vampires chasing us had been able to follow our trail into the woods. Then I imagined them all just falling on really sharp sticks and dying the lamest deaths ever. If only we could be so lucky.

"Amelia?" Eric's voice shredded my daydreaming. "It's time we head in for the night."

I gave him an exasperated look before following him down the road, going in the same direction Xosu had traveled. I slowed my pace and my eyes widened as I came to a realization.

"Oh, I am _so_ not staying with that guy."

"He's providing us lodging and it will be perfectly fine."

"Eric," I protested, "He's _crazy_. Utterly batshit. Completely off his rocker." I would've continued to elaborate but Eric interrupted.

"I'll protect you." He smiled slyly, slowing to walk at my side.

"I know you can smell him. What do you think the rest of his belongings will smell like?" I was going to press every angle I could to get out of this.

"We aren't staying in his _home_." He said the word with a measure of distaste.

"Thank God." I muttered.

"Thank me." He corrected.

We wandered the streets of the abandoned neighborhood, Xosu nowhere in sight, and weaved through a few yards and over one fence before we came to our destination. It was a set of large wooden doors that opened down into a cellar or some type of basement which, given that we were in Louisiana and near waters that frequently flooded, was very strange. It sat at the back of a little house that could have been white but it was hard to determine in an area so lacking in light. I was forced to hold onto Eric's wrist as we descended the stairs into pitch black so I didn't end up flat on my face. When we reached the bottom Eric left me where I stood to flip on the light switch. There was a single dull bulb that hung in the center of the room that barely cast a glow beyond three feet in any direction. I sighed at the dismal atmosphere. Apparently its intended use had been a storm shelter but it was shockingly bare. There were no cots or furnishings of any kind. I investigated a stack of boxes to find blankets, bottled water, some clothes and a few cans of food. I turned to Eric and was about to ask if there was anywhere else we could stay when I heard the doors clatter shut and bang loudly before a chain was noisily looped through the handles. I vaulted up the stairs taking two at a time but was too late. A large lock clicked into place and I shouted down to Eric in a panic.

"He locked us in, that crazy son of a bitch!"

"Stop yelling." Came Eric's voice. "The echo hurts my ears. Come back down."

As I descended the stairs wondering exactly why Eric sounded so calm I noticed he had already laid out blankets for us to sleep on. I raised my eyebrows at him to say: hellooo, we're still locked in.

"I asked him to secure the doors for the day since this is the best we can do tonight." He looked around with as much distaste as I felt, but it didn't make the situation any better. I was still trapped. "I'll be able to break the lock when I wake tomorrow."

So there we were, Eric setting up bedding and me staring helplessly around the room. I found more emergency blankets, some magazines, and expired Gatorade in the wilting boxes stacked along the far wall. I was trying very hard to not focus on the feeling that the room was getting smaller. It was light tight so there were no windows and over the period of its disuse the air had grown musty and stale. It was also tremendously cold. By the time I settled onto my makeshift bed I felt caged and miserable. I missed my warm, cozy bed and the smell of my things. I wanted to wake up and be warmed by the sunlight, but I would have to wait until Eric was ready to emerge and then it would just be darkness all over again. To top it all off my stomach started growling. I sighed. Needing to distract myself I grabbed an old bottle of water, sniffing it before I took a sip, then turned to Eric.

"Why didn't you need me to listen to his thoughts when you were talking to Xosu?"

"What?" He laughed. "Because he doesn't have any. I thought that would be obvious, especially to you." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Even still… He was awfully suspicious of you. I'd even go so far as to say afraid."

"Of me?" As a human I could hardly believe that.

"He was actually quite insistent that you not sleep anywhere near where he rests."

"Huh." I sat back down on my blanket feeling quite relieved at the thought.

"What did you do, my little telepath?" He cast his icy blues over my frame, obviously amused that a girl of 5'2" had so badly scared the Voodoo albino vampire of the bayou.

"I threatened to kill him?" I said sheepishly.

Having already sat down on his makeshift cot that was no more than 3 feet away from my own, Eric nearly rolled over backwards as he tossed his head with a laugh. "You're joking!" He practically guffawed. "How? Tell me exactly what you said." His eyes lit up brightly as he grinned.

"Well," I shifted my posture as an entirely different thought occurred to me. "Is there a way to be a vampire but not know that you're actually a vampire?"

"No." He scoffed, not missing a beat. "You'd have to be insanely stupid. So stupid it's likely you wouldn't make it past your first dawn."

"So you'd have to be crazy." I added.

"Yes."

"Just like Xosu."

There was a significant pause during which Eric's eyes glittered wildly. I could almost see the thoughts register on his face but they were traded out in such a rapid succession I lost track.

"Eric, I don't think he knows what he is." I didn't realize until now how badly I was itching to talk about him with someone else. Xosu was an anomaly, both furiously fascinating and frightening. "You are right though, he barely has any thoughts to speak of. It's all erratic imagery, noise, and superstition. It's so strange to think but," I shifted again, leaning forward as one does when speaking with a measure of excitement. "I think he believes his faith is what makes him immortal. He really doesn't understand that he's a vampire. I mean, I was able to threaten his _life _without silver or a stake. And he believed me."

Eric was still staring at me, an eyebrow cocked in disbelief, so I continued with my theory, telling him everything of the encounter I had. It was pleasantly surprising to find that Eric actually had a large amount of knowledge about Voodoo practitioners and helped answer a lot of questions that came up during the discussion. I wanted to know why it had affected him so when I spoke his full name. As it turns out, Dan Toxosu is the child of the Vodun Agbe, (Voduns being the venerated and adored divinities in Voodoo religion) and manifests himself in the birth of monster babies. Only after he explained this did the significance of the way I had named Xosu sink in. It made me feel awful. Without knowing it I'd shamed him for being an albino, for being different. I'd played into the shame and horror he'd experienced his entire life as a human being at the hands of his own family and people. With conviction I had called him a monster. Eric continued on as I grew very quiet.

"So he drinks blood in a ritual to appease his gods and keep their magic bound to his charms. Each bone trinket is a representation of strength, speed, ahh.." He ran his fingers over the stubble on his jaw thoughtfully as he continued deconstructing the mad puzzle that had locked me in a basement with my vampire employer. "It's a brilliant idea, really."

"Being crazy?"

"When you get down to it he's not truly mad he's just…" He flashed a smile at finding the right word. "Religious."

I snorted.

"Think about it. His maker was clearly dedicated to keeping what he was a secret, so much so that each human he turned never had the faintest idea what precisely had changed. He survived in the open by adopting the local religion and deviated from the main practices by forming his own brand, but only changed enough to cleverly conceal his need for blood and sanctuary from daylight. During the nightly ceremonies his followers would give their blood in exchange for the tiniest drop of his own, a high unrivaled by any herb they'd ever come across…" He breathed out slowly, marveling at it. "Slowly he would cultivate his favorites, groom them until they were ready and then make them his own." Slowly he played with his bottom lip, a gesture I hadn't seen before. Clearly Eric was fascinated. "Teach them his most holy secrets. His devotees, his priests…" He sighed and finally caught my eye after a long spell of staring into the distance. "You just don't come across that level of clever dedication anymore."

I nodded lamely. The idea of it all was a lot for me to process, but it did help cast Xosu in an entirely different light. I had long since finished adding to the conversation and simply listened while Eric waxed on further about the beauty of Xosu's maker's design and expressed his wishes to meet with him were he still alive. The lack of activity on my end was making it hard to keep my eyes open. I stopped listening to what he was saying. What a long night. I just wanted to curl up, get warm, sleep, and be done with it.

"And then you came along," His voice burst through my sleepy stupor. "Threatening to break the spell on his gris-gris," Eric mused, propped up on one elbow. "Thus, in his mind, ending his immortality forever." He laughed again, tossing me a wink. "How delightfully resourceful of you."

I shrugged, not really knowing what to say. I had reacted out of panic and in hindsight wished I had approached the problem a little differently. Xosu hadn't hurt me and in hindsight my method of deterrence felt a little extreme. All he'd done was grab my wrist and I had threatened to kill him. I shook my head at the thought.

Eric must have taken note of the change in my demeanor and didn't miss the chance to hop to a different topic. "You look cold and tired." He was lying on his modest wad of blankets, staring at me. "Want me to lie next to you? You could get some sleep and I could help keep you warm."

"No thanks." I managed politely. "You're usually about as warm as a wet dog nose." I shivered and kicked off my remaining shoe, pulling two blankets around my shoulders. The sleeping part sounded good, I thought.

"That's not true at all. Thanks to you I'm still somewhat tepid." He smirked, trailing a hand over his arm as I struggled with the temptation. "I won't bite." He raised his hands as a peace offering and scooted closer, extending his fingers for my appraisal of their temperature.

I touched his hand limply, discouraging myself from the idea every second. My logic would have worked too, if his hand hadn't felt so warm. From the time just before Xosu had shown up my fingers had felt like icicles. No matter how hard I had tried I simply couldn't warm them up, and the sensation felt like it was spreading- reaching deeper and deeper into my tissue until I was now just a shivering mass under all the blankets. I didn't verbally agree to his proposal, but I couldn't let go of his hand. I did need the help warming up and my body knew it.

"Your lips are blue." He said, pulling himself close enough that he didn't have to stretch his limbs to reach me. He used his other hand to cup my cheek and brushed his thumb gently across my closed mouth. The touch was so light it tickled. I leaned my head into his hand, pulled to the warmth, and shut my eyes. "Lie down Amelia." He said gently.

I pulled away from his hand and lay back slowly. I could feel the floor through the blankets, cold and hard. I trembled, practically convulsing as Eric lifted the blankets from my shoulders and arranged them to cover us both. Then he encouraged me to roll onto my side, facing away from him. Reluctantly I obliged. As soon as I felt the warmth of his bare chest pressing against my back my heart began racing. It thumped and danced against my ribs as he draped his arm over mine, melding our torsos together. I was grateful that below the waist our bodies didn't touch. I think it might have driven me mad. We were silent for a long time while we waited for the quivering of my body to abate. The warmth generated between us grew until I was so cozy I don't even remember slipping down into a light dreamless sleep. When I awoke it was pitch black in the room but I could still feel Eric's body behind me and I was grateful to finally have returned to my normal core temperature.

"Eric?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

He gave me a light squeeze in response, having wrapped both his arms around me at some point when I was sleeping. From that moment on was precisely when the awkwardness of it set in. My eyes widened slowly as I became painfully aware of every inch of him that was pressed against me and every inch of him that wasn't. In the dark where I couldn't see anything there was nothing else to focus on, and the intimacy of it was becoming too much.

"Um," I began uncomfortably, "I think I'm ok now. Would you mind turning the light back on?"

There was nothing but silence for a few moments in which I waited for Eric to respond or scoot away. He didn't. I made to shift his arms and wiggle free but it was a difficult dead weight to contend with, and as soon as my wiggling began he locked his grip down.

"Now that you're all warmed up I thought it could be your turn to keep me from going cold."

"I thought you didn't mind the cold," I said over my shoulder.

"That doesn't mean I'll turn away the opportunity to stay warm."

"I don't remember offering." I was getting testy, and it was mainly because I was anxious about the proximity of our bodies. I was already attracted to Eric more than I thought would be good for me in the long run, and having him mold his body to my own was unquestionably pleasant, but I didn't want to get my heart strings all tangled up in him. He was my employer and I had unfortunately been witness to the way his nightly escapades began- often with a tall busty twenty-something and I could only speculate as to how they ended, except that I had never seen him with the same woman twice. Not yet. That isn't to say I haven't had fantasies about him, not too different from what was happening now, but it had given me time to formulate theories about how my telepathy might function if we both relaxed and became intimate. I was pretty certain the walls that Eric had built up would come down, or I would unintentionally find a way over them and I didn't think my fragile ego was up to that level of honesty.

"I wasn't asking." He said in a hushed voice and brushed the hair away from my neck, trailing his fingers lightly down the curve, over the puncture marks he had made and back up again.

I shivered, and despite myself, gave into him just a little. I had pulled away from his torso during my fit of discomfort so I pushed back until I came in contact with his chest again and relaxed my shoulders. It made me wonder just how thought out each move Eric made was. Whatever it was that he wanted always had a way of falling into place for him or measuring out to be within the boundaries of what he expected to get. That is, except for me. In that light, it made a little more sense why he found me so frustrating. I felt like the wild card in his stacked deck, showing up as counter to what he had planned. I have to admit the thought made me smile a bit.

"Why are you so difficult?" He poked at my side playfully and then rested his hand at my waist.

I didn't allow his hand to stay for long and shifted as if I were uncomfortable, moving so much he was forced to lift his arm entirely so I could readjust. He chose that moment to get up and flip the light back on and I was forced to shield my eyes until they adjusted. Then his arm came back down again, much to my dismay and excitement, resting just a bit lower- right above my hip.

"I'm not trying to be." I was a little injured by the comment and picked up his hand and moved it back to a more comfortable place for me; on his own body. He sighed.

"Amelia, it's just a hand. Is it really that hard for you to be comfortable with me?"

"Oh I'm plenty comfortable," If I sounded a little on edge, I was. "I wouldn't be lying here if I didn't trust you, to a certain degree," I hesitated, embarrassed to be bringing attention back to the proximity of our bodies. "But I don't understand you, and I think we define being comfortable with someone very differently." I was beginning to feel tense again and really wished he'd take the hint and move to his own bed. "You confuse me," I admitted honestly. "I feel like the messages I get from you are so mixed."

"Then," He began, his face close enough that I felt it touch my hair. "Let me communicate a little more clearly."

Mentally, I braced myself waiting to hear what he had to say. My heart was pounding. After a few jumpy beats I felt just the slightest pressing contact as he molded his stomach, hips, and thighs to the small of my back and the round curve of my rump. He placed a gentle kiss towards the base of my neck then nuzzled it, his soft whiskers causing it to tickle. Something in me melted and my built-up defenses failed. Emotionally he had snagged me and I knew it. That was when something fierce and protective within me snapped, rolled me over to face him and savagely shoved at his shoulders, forcing our bodies apart and pinning him down. It goes without saying that he'd let me do it, watching me as I glared down at him angrily, fighting the tremble that threatened to loosen my resolve to resist.

"Don't. Just, don't even try." I warned, my tone severe. I just couldn't allow myself to be vulnerable with him like that.

He said nothing and remained motionless, his hands passively placed at his sides. I was bearing down on him with my palms, pressing on his chest, expecting resistance. I was ready for a fight and just waiting for him to make another move. If he pushed at me I could justify the decision to completely harden against him and never let him this close to me again. He always took what he wanted, and I knew that was something I couldn't tolerate romantically. I think he could see it in my eyes and knew. So he simply lay there completely passive, staring up at me through clear blue eyes that promised me nothing but what I needed; no pressure. He was there if I wanted him, or I could send him away. In the face of that decision I faltered, not sure that either path was the one I truly wanted. Could I send him away? His expression was soft and yielding which, given the Eric that I had grown accustomed to, confused me tremendously. Maybe he was showing me who he really was. Physically this was the closest I had been to Eric's face since the night he had forcefully drunk from me and it brought my attention to how often I avoided his eyes and stared at his shoes. I knew more about his footwear than the characteristics of his eyes. Of course I could tell you that they were blue, but that said nothing of their sharp clarity and infinite depth that I was just now noticing. There was a whole world to be seen inside them. It stole my breath away to look at him. I sat back slowly on my heels and pulled my hands into my lap, aching strangely at the beauty of him. His lips were soft, pink, and slightly parted in an open invitation. I closed my eyes and imagined leaning forward, brushing our lips together, and taking in the smell of him. I wanted to rub my cheek against his soft stubble and explore his face with kisses, taste his strong jaw and the delicate slope of his brow and cheek bones. The fantasy played out so easily in my head, and I knew it was just as easy as following through with the motions to make it more than just a daydream. I hesitated, my heart racing as I gathered courage for what I knew I was about to do.

"Amelia," Eric's voice sounded urgent. "It's-"

"Please," I interrupted him, covering his mouth with my hand, scared that my mounting courage would slip away from me if he spoke. "I just need a few minutes."

I was going to do this. With all that was happening I might not get a second chance. What if I died? It was more unlikely, but what if he died? As it turns out death proved to be a pretty good motivator. In a rush and not at all as suavely as I had planned I bent down and pressed my lips to his. They felt cool against my own, but only slightly, and now that I'd made the first big step I swallowed my nervousness and tried to slow down and savor the sensation. His mouth was wonderfully soft with the right amount of firmness, and my nose brushed gently against his as I shifted my head to taste his lips at another angle. It was encouraging that he was allowing me to explore him at my leisure, not pushing back or being demanding of what he wanted. It was sweet. After a moment more of exploring I opened my eyes, eager to see what was in his expression, ready to pass the lead to him. His eyes were closed so I leaned back to watch him, thinking that the absence of my presence would pull him out of whatever sensation he was savoring. When his eyes still didn't open I ran my finger down his cheek and repeated the caress with my palm. Still nothing. I blinked, confused.

"Eric?" I nudged him in the side with my hip.

He shifted, but no further than the force of my hip could push him, and his right hand flopped over like a limp fish. My first thought was that he'd fallen asleep. Then I remembered that vampires didn't sleep. Not unless-

"Oh come ON!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the bare concrete walls, ringing in my ears.

I slid my face through my hands and grabbed fistfuls of my hair in frustration. My hands poked, prodded, shook, and were just about to punch him when I finally accepted the fact that he wasn't going to wake. There was nothing I could do. It was dawn and the life had completely gone out of him. The disappointment was just too much and since I knew he couldn't hear me I screamed. It was a ragged, throaty expulsion of all the pent up emotions of the evening and I forced it out through my lungs over and over again until I felt truly emptied and drained. I stared at Eric for a long time, not sure exactly what I was waiting for. I knew he wouldn't rise, and I was fairly sure my moment of bravery had passed. Don't think for a moment I didn't consider continuing on without him, satisfying all my curiosities about his body when I knew there would be no retaliation or immediate consequence but then it struck me just how closely my thought process was resembling that of a rapist and I shook myself. Let's not go down that road. Feeling completely defeated I stretched then laid back down, tucking myself against his body for the warmth of it and patted myself on the back for ingenuity as I used his arm for a pillow. When I was as comfortable as I could hope to get on a cold concrete floor in an old storm shelter curled up against the body of my employer, that by means of any medical examination would be determined dead, I fell asleep. I think it was the strangest end to the night that I could have imagined.


End file.
